Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American actor, known for his roles as
Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...
in ''
Amadeus'' (1984), Edward R. Rooney in ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American Teen film, teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck, with supporting roles from Jenn ...
'' (1986), Charles Deetz in ''
Beetlejuice
''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...
'' (1988), Dr. Skip Tyler in ''
The Hunt for Red October
''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutt ...
'' (1990), Eddie Barzoon in ''
The Devil's Advocate'' (1997), and
A. W. Merrick in both ''
Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and ''
Deadwood: The Movie'' (2019).
His career started in
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...
in Minneapolis, and advanced to London and
Broadway. In film and television, Jones has had many roles which capitalized on his
deadpan
Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of Comedy, comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant t ...
portrayal of characters in unusual situations, often to comic effect. He was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
for his performance in ''Amadeus'' and a
Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
as part of the ensemble cast of ''Deadwood''.
In 2002, Jones was charged with soliciting a minor to pose for nude photographs. He pleaded
no contest and had two subsequent arrests for failing to update his sex offender status.
Early life
Jones was born in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
, the son of Ruth (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Schooley) and Douglas Bennett Jones. His mother was an
art historian
Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history.
Traditionally, the ...
, who urged him towards a career in acting. His father died when Jones was an infant.
Early career
After graduating from
The Putney School
The Putney School is an independent high school in Putney, Vermont. The school was founded in 1935 by Carmelita Hinton on the principles of the Progressive Education movement and the teachings of its principal exponent, John Dewey. It is a co-e ...
in 1964, Jones enrolled in
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...
as a
premed student, where his performances in university productions brought him to the attention of
Tyrone Guthrie
Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at ...
, who recruited him for the
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...
in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
.
His stage career included more than 125 productions, starting with the Guthrie Theater, then internationally in South America, Canada, and London,
and in New York
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
in ''
Cloud 9'' and ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...
'', among other productions, as well as on
Broadway in productions including ''
Trelawny of the "Wells"'' and ''
The Elephant Man
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "The Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, ...
''. His transition from stage to film began in 1970.
Film and television career
Jones began acting in small parts in film and television in the 1970s. In his best-known roles as Emperor Joseph II in ''
Amadeus'', Charles Deetz in ''
Beetlejuice
''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...
'', and Edward R. Rooney in ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American Teen film, teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck, with supporting roles from Jenn ...
'', his dead-pan expression and distinctive face bring a comic flavor to his characters through their reactions to the situations in which they find themselves, more so than the wit in their scripted lines.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' biographic profile reads: "Although he has tried to steer clear of playing only sinister roles, the actor's imposing height, bugged-out eyes, easy sneer, and shock of reddish-blond hair give him vaguely devilish features that have prompted villain typecasting. However, the actor is also widely respected and considered a boon wherever he appears." The profile describes his portrayals variously as a "hissable, cartoonish high school principal" in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', a "good-natured father" in ''Beetlejuice'', "an interplanetary freedom fighter" in ''
Mom and Dad Save the World
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case ...
'', a "demon stand-in" in ''
Stay Tuned'', and "evil bespectacled twins" in ''
Out on a Limb''.
Jones's work in the
Lucille Lortel Theatre production of ''
Cloud 9'' was noticed by the casting team of ''
Easy Money'' (1983), earning Jones a supporting role opposite
Rodney Dangerfield
Jack Roy (born Jacob Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, ...
.
''Amadeus''
''Cloud 9'' further attracted the attention of director
Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech Americans, Czech-American film film director, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the Uni ...
, who cast Jones as
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, ...
in ''
Amadeus'' (1984), an adaptation of the
Peter Shaffer play of the same name. Critic
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on ...
noted that Jones portrayed the Emperor "as a superficial and self-absorbed ruler who can't tell the difference between a great opera and a mediocre one".
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised Jones's performance, citing the film's most memorable line, when the Emperor complains of ''
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...
'' that "there are too many notes".
[
] Jones's work earned him a nomination for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previ ...
.
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''
Jones's performance as Edward R. Rooney in the film ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American Teen film, teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck, with supporting roles from Jenn ...
'' (1986) made him a cultural icon.
Rooney, self-important and obsessed with catching the chronic truant Ferris Bueller, became a symbol of pomposity and authoritarian hatefulness. ''The New York Times'' review characterized Jones's performance as having "fine cartoon like ferocity", wherein his character "gets scratched, bitten, attacked by ferocious dogs and covered with mud while pursuing his weaker, but craftier prey, and emerges each time bruised but undaunted, thinking up some new (and futile) plan". The review likened Jones's role as akin to that of
Wile E. Coyote as a character who is fated to be unable to catch The Road Runner (Ferris Bueller).
Jones expressed concern about being remembered more for this role than for ''Amadeus''. Regarding its premise, he said: "What's amazing about Ferris Bueller, is that we're asked to, and do, sympathize with a kid whose only complaint in life is that his sister got a car for her birthday and he got a computer."
''Beetlejuice'' and Tim Burton
In the horror comedy film ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Jones and
Catherine O'Hara
Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...
portrayed a married couple (Charles and Delia Deetz) who unwittingly become co-owners of a haunted house. To highlight this couple's status as boors, director
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
cast
Dick Cavett
Richard Alva Cavett (; born November 19, 1936) is an American television personality and former talk show host. He appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States from the 1960s through the 2000s.
In later years, Cave ...
and
Robert Goulet
Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American‐Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canad ...
to appear as their guests at a dinner party, at which the ghosts of the previous owners cause everyone to sing "
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)
"Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" is a traditional Jamaican folk song. The song has mento influences, but it is commonly classified as an example of the better known calypso music.
It is a call and response work song, from the point of view ...
".
Jones collaborated with Burton again on the films ''
Ed Wood
Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist.
In the 1950s, Wood directed several B movie, low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult c ...
'' (1994), in which he portrays
The Amazing Criswell, and ''
Sleepy Hollow'' (1999). Shortly prior to the release of ''Sleepy Hollow'', Jones said of Burton, "I've known Tim now for quite some time and really enjoy working with him. I like his sensibility, and he's great fun."
Other films
Jones played Dr. Walter Jenning in the
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
film ''
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'' (1986).
He portrayed
Inspector Lestrade
Detective Inspector G. Lestrade ( or ) is a fictional character appearing in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Lestrade's first appearance was in the first Sherlock Holmes story, the 1887 novel ''A Study in Scarlet''. Hi ...
in the
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
spoof film ''
Without a Clue'' (1988). In ''
The Hunt for Red October
''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutt ...
'' (1990), he played ex-submarine commander Skip Tyler, who identifies the Red October's propulsion system to
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
's
Jack Ryan. He also appeared as real-life figure
Thomas Putnam in ''
The Crucible
''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...
'' (1996). He also played Uncle Crenshaw Little in ''
Stuart Little
''Stuart Little'' is a 1945 American children's novel by E. B. White. It was White's first children's book, and became recognized as a classic in children's literature. ''Stuart Little'' was illustrated by the artist Garth Williams, also his f ...
'' (1999). As lumber mogul Joe Potter, Jones was the primary antagonist of the
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
comedy ''
Dr. Dolittle 2'' (2001).
Television roles
One of Jones's earliest television roles was in an episode of the short-lived
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
series ''
Sara'' (1976). He showcased his villain persona as Mister Acme, the owner of Acme Toxic Waste, in the satirical comedy miniseries ''
Fresno
Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
'' (1986), starring
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, singer and writer. Burnett has played dramatic and comedic roles on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Carol Burnett, nu ...
,
Charles Grodin
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting acto ...
, and
Dabney Coleman. For
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, Jones hosted the 1987
D-TV Monster Hits musical special (as the
Magic Mirror) and later co-starred with
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first Black A ...
,
Kathy Najimy
Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist play ''The Kathy and Mo Show'', which she wrote and performed with Mo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her ...
and
Kevin Pollak
Kevin Elliot Pollak (born October 30, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcast host. He has appeared in over 90 films; his roles include Sam Weinberg in Rob Reiner's ''A Few Good Men'', Jacob Goldman in ''Grumpy Old Men ...
in the video storyline portion of the
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
attraction
Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter, a staple of
Tomorrowland Tomorrowland may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Tomorrowland (Disney Parks), a theme land at a number of Disney theme parks around the world
* Tomorrowland (festival), an annual electronic dance music festival in Boom, Belgium
* ''Tom ...
from 1995 to 2003. He has had guest roles on a number of television series, including ''
Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...
'', ''
Tales from the Crypt'', and ''
Batman: The Animated Series''.
He was the star of another short-lived
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
program: the sitcom ''
The People Next Door'' (1989), portraying a cartoonist whose imagination could make things come to life.
Jones's most prominent television role is that of newspaper publisher A. W. Merrick on the acclaimed
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
drama series ''Deadwood'' (2004–2006). Keith Uhlich of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' referred to both Jones and the character of Merrick as "perversely appropriate additions" to the program, further citing Merrick as its "secular soul". Along with the ensemble cast, Jones was nominated for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Later career
Following his appearance in the
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
comedy ''
Who's Your Caddy?'' (2007), he was absent from film and television for several years. He returned with an uncredited cameo as ''
Collier's
}
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...
'' editor Charles Colebaugh in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
original film ''
Hemingway & Gellhorn
''Hemingway & Gellhorn'' is a 2012 American biographical drama television film directed by Philip Kaufman and written by Jerry Stahl and Barbara Turner, about the lives of journalist Martha Gellhorn (Nicole Kidman) and her husband, writer Er ...
'' (2012), followed by the supporting role of scientist Gladstone in the independent
disaster film
A disaster film or disaster movie is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include natural disasters, accidents, offensive (military), military/terrorism, terrorist att ...
''
10.0 Earthquake'' (2014). Jones went on to play a fictional version of himself in the short film ''7 Days'' (2016)
and reprised the role of A. W. Merrick in ''
Deadwood: The Movie'' (2019).
In May 2015, Jones returned to the stage with the New American Theatre production of ''63 Trillion'', directed by
Steve Zuckerman
Stephen Edward "Steve" Zuckerman is an American television and theater director. He began his career in the theater. After being trained at the University of Michigan and the Yale School of Drama, he went on to be the Associate Artistic Director ...
. The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' said his portrayal of financial adviser Dick had "malevolent gusto that
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
himself might envy". Beginning in March 2018, Jones portrayed ailing patriarch Bradley in a production of the
A. R. Gurney play ''
The Cocktail Hour'', staged at the Annenberg Theater in the
Palm Springs Art Museum
The Palm Springs Art Museum (formerly the Palm Springs Desert Museum) is a visual and performing arts institution with several locations in the Coachella Valley, in Riverside County, California, United States, founded in 1938. PSAM has been focu ...
.
Jones was not brought back to reprise his role as Charles Deetz in ''
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'' (2024) due to his legal controversies. His character is explained to have been killed by being eaten by a shark after his plane crashed in the ocean, and his likeness is used through means of
stop-motion
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...
in flashback sequences, as well as archival photos and footage throughout the film thereafter. In scenes set in the afterlife, Deetz is portrayed by a
body double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
(with half of his body missing) and a voice impersonator, in a rare instance of a
fake Shemp
A fake Shemp is a type of body double who appears in a film to replace another actor or person, usually when the original actor has died or is otherwise unable or unwilling to reprise their role. Their appearance is disguised using methods such ...
being used on a living actor with consent.
Personal life
Jones has one son, actor Julian Coutts,
whose mother was Lloy Coutts, a Canadian voice coach. She and Jones met in
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River (Ontario), Avon River within Perth County, Ontario, Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2021 Canadian census, 2021 population of 33,232 in a land area of . Stratford is the County seat, s ...
.
One interviewer in 1989 found Jones to value anonymity and the enjoyment of everyday tasks, like home repairs, and found him to be uninterested in status symbols and fan adulation. Jones pointed out that greater public recognition makes it more difficult to transition between roles and allow the character to come to the fore and the actor to recede from view.
Legal issues
Child sexual abuse materials
Jones was arrested in 2002 for possession of
child sexual abuse material and
soliciting
Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...
a 14-year-old boy to produce sexually explicit images between September 2000 to May 2001. Jones photographed the child, and paid him to pose nude on multiple occasions wearing a cowboy hat, with stuffed animals, and dressed as a
Native American. Jones surrendered himself and was released on
bond prior to arraignment. Jones
pleaded not guilty to the possession charge and no contest to a charge of soliciting a minor. The victim initiated a separate civil action against Jones seeking damages and compensation. The
misdemeanor
A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...
charge of possession of child pornography was dropped following the no-contest
plea
In law, a plea is a defendant's response to a criminal charge. A defendant may plead guilty or not guilty. Depending on jurisdiction, additional pleas may be available, including '' nolo contendere'' (no contest), no case to answer (in the ...
.
["Jones's sex-offender case put over". '']The Kingston Whig-Standard
''The Kingston Whig-Standard'' is a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is published four days a week, on Tuesday and Thursday to Saturday. It publishes a mix of community, national and international news and is currently owned by Postm ...
''. July 15, 2010. p. 21. Retrieved August 26, 2023. His attorney emphasized that there was no allegation of improper physical contact. His punishment was five years'
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
, counseling, and the requirement to register as a
sex offender
A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a Sex and the law, sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convi ...
.
Jones is listed in
sex offender registries in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
.
Other offenses
Jones was arrested twice for failing to update his sex offender status, first in Florida in 2004, and then in California in 2010.
Jones pleaded guilty to the
felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...
charges in California, receiving a sentence of 250 hours of
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
and three years of probation.
In 2006, Jones's record became the subject of a community complaint during production of ''
Who's Your Caddy?'' in
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken is the most populous city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. According to 2020 census, the population was 32,025, making it the 15th-most populous city in South Carolina, and one of the two largest ci ...
. Upon learning of his involvement, locals insisted that the public should have been alerted, considering that families were being invited to visit the set. Surrounding the 2019 release of ''Deadwood: The Movie'', Jones's crime was noted by the media.
Filmography
Film
Television
Other works
References
External links
"Biography of Jeffrey Jones" ''The New York Times''.
*
*Jones'
Florida Department of Law Enforcement - Sexual Offender / Predator Flyer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Jeffrey
1946 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
American expatriate male actors
American expatriates in England
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Child sexual abuse in the United States
American people convicted of child sexual abuse
Lawrence University alumni
Male actors from Buffalo, New York
Male actors from Los Angeles
The Putney School alumni