Veteran actor Ron Cephas Jones passed away on August 19. The actor, who was known for his role in the drama series This Is Us, was 66 years old and passed away due to a long-standing pulmonary issue. The actor is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Ron Cephas Jones had been a part of multiple acclaimed projects. He started his career on the stage and then successfully transitioned to film and TV. The actor has also been a part of multiple films produced by Marvel.
Ron Cephas Jones’ Four-Decade-Long Career
Before actor Ron Cephas Jones came to be known as William Hill, the actor began his career on the stage. After traveling around the USA, he came to New York in 1985. He started performing at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where he was discovered by a casting agent. The actor was cast for the leading role in the theater production of Cheryl West’s Holiday Heart.
Cephas Jones was a part of many plays with the Steppenwolf Theater Company and was also in many Off-Broadway productions. Last year, he received a Tony Award nomination for his appearance in the Broadway play Clyde’s, which was written by Lynn Nottage. The actor has often mentioned his love for the theater and has said that his crew in Clyde helped him recover after he received a lung transplant. He said in an interview,
“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…My whole life has been the stage. The idea of not performing again seemed worse to me than death.”
The actor’s most well-known role was that of William Hill in the TV drama This is Us. Hill is the father of Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K Brown. Cephas Jones’ Hill is Pearson’s biological father, who drops him at a fire station as a baby. Ron Cephas Jones was a regular on the show during the first two seasons and then was a recurring actor in the rest of the show. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor twice.
Also read: This Is Us: Most Relatable Moments That Prove It’s Lowkey The Best Show Ever
Ron Cephas Jones In Marvel
Ron Cephas Jones transitioned to film and TV, appearing in the Denzel Washington film He Got Game, Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, and along with Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name. The actor also had a prominent role in the Ryan Gosling starrer Half Nelson. He also made appearances in acclaimed TV shows such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Mr. Robot, and Banshee.
Cephas Jones is also a regular in Marvel projects. He is a part of two universes in Marvel, one being the Netflix series Luke Cage, and the other being in the Tom Hardy starrer Venom. In the latter, Cephas Jones featured in an uncredited role as Jack, the boss of Hardy’s Eddie Brock. Jack fires Brock after he confronts Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake about the symbiote clinical trials.
Cephas Jones has a more prominent role in the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage. The actor plays Bobby Fish, a chess master who is Cage’s friend and is a frequent visitor at Pop’s Barbershop. Fish is a recurring character in the short-lived show, which lasted three seasons. Cephas Jones’s Bobby Fish appears in thirteen episodes over the three seasons and is a pillar of support for Luke Cage after a tragic event.
Source: People
