O-Lan Jones (born May 23, 1950) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Rose on Harts of the West (1993–1994) and from her work with Tim Burton.
Early and personal life Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. Her first name comes from the Chinese heroine of the novel The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Her father left the family when she was a child. Her mother Scarlett Johnson, a self-described "free spirit", moved their family for a year to a remote Mayan village in the Yucatán jungle when Jones was 15. In 1966 when Jones was 16, they moved to Greenwich Village, New York City, where Jones began her acting career. It was there that Johnson married writer and occasional actor Johnny Dark, while Jones was dating Dark's best friend, playwright Sam Shepard. Shepard wrote the role of "Oolan" for Jones in his 1967 play Forensic & The Navigators.
In 1969, Jones and Shepard were married. She went on to star in a number of his plays, including Suicide in B♭ and Angel City. Jones gave birth to their son Jesse Mojo Shepard in 1971. They divorced in 1984.
Jones is an alumna of New Dramatists. In addition to her acting, she is a writer, musician, composer and lyricist. She is the artistic director of Overtone Industries, a company she founded in 1980 dedicated to creating and developing new works for opera and musical theater. In 2003 she married her longtime boyfriend Halldor Enard.
In early 2024, filmmaker Alex Mechanik discussed that he was set to direct a feature film starring Jones for Gloria Sanchez Productions.
Selected filmography Year Title RoleNotes1978A Death in CanaanCarla PittsTelevision filmCredited as Olan Shephard1980Die LaughingJudgeCredited as Olan Shephard1982Out Nixie / DinahCredited as O-Lan ShepardShoot the MoonCounter GirlCredited as O-Lan Shepard1983The Right Stuff Pretty GirlCredited as O-Lan Shepard1988Married to the MobPhyllisMiracle MileWaitressWildfire Mrs. Johnson1989Lonesome DoveSally SkullCredited as Olan JonesHow I Got into CollegeSally O'Connor1990Edward ScissorhandsEsmeraldaPacific HeightsPatricia 1992SeinfeldWaitressEpisode: "The Bubble Boy"BeethovenBiker Woman1993Shelf LifeTina1993–1994Harts of the WestRose McLaughlin1994Natural Born KillersMabel1996The X-FilesRebecca WaiteEpisode: "Sanguinarium"Mars Attacks!Sue-Ann Norris1998The Truman ShowBar Waitress2000American VirginKimAttention ShoppersMeg2001Diagnosis: MurderChantelle BoudreauEpisode: "Bachelor Fathers"2002American GirlHildegarde2013SyrupClinic Receptionist2015CommunityMrs. LambertEpisode: "Wedding Videography"2016Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenShelly
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