Emmy-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones, known for his roles in NBC’s “This is Us” and “Law and Order,” has died at age 66.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a representative confirmed Saturday to People Magazine.
Jones revealed in 2021 that he had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and underwent a double lung transplant the year before.
The actor also previously discussed how his co-stars and producers on “This is Us,” helped him though a major health scare on the final day of the show’s filming.
“You cats held me when I was struggling and you didn’t let me go. You’ve been there for a very difficult part of my life. I’m a walking miracle,” he recalled telling them, during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly in 2022.
“My whole life has been the stage,” Jones added. “The idea of not performing again seemed worse to me than death.”
Jones won Emmys in 2018 and 2020 for his performance on the show, portraying the character of William Hill, the biological father of Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown.
Jones is survived by his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, 34, who also won an Emmy in 2020 for her role in the Quibi show “FreeRayshawn.” The win made them the first ever father-daughter duo to take home Emmys in the same year.
In addition to “This is Us,” Jones’ television work includes “Mr. Robot,” “Looking for Alaska,” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” His film credits include “Dolemite is My Name,” “Dog Days,” and “Half Nelson.”
Jones also excelled on the stage, making his Broadway debut in 2004, and earning a Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in the 2021 play “Clyde’s.”
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” his representative said in the statement Saturday.
___
© 2023 New York Daily News
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
