Ron Cephas Jones (; January 8, 1957 – August 19, 2023) was an American actor, best known for his role as William Hill in the drama series This Is Us (2016–2022), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award; along with four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020.
Jones appeared in television series such as Mr. Robot (2015–2016), The Get Down (2016–2017), Luke Cage (2016–2018), and Truth Be Told (2019–2023). He also appeared in a number of films, including Paid In Full (2002) Half Nelson (2006), Across the Universe (2007), Glass Chin (2014), The Holiday Calendar (2018), Dog Days (2018), and Dolemite Is My Name (2019).
In 2022, he was nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play at the 75th Tony Awards, for his performance in the Broadway play Clyde's.
Early life and education Ron Cephas Jones, who was of African American heritage, was born on January 8, 1957.
He grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended John F. Kennedy High School and then Ramapo College."How hit show This Is Us is connected to NJ — NO spoilers, scout’s honor!", WKXW, February 23, 2017. Accessed February 17, 2018. "First, the cast includes New Jersey native, Ron Cephas Jones. The Paterson native who played William (Randall's biological dad) graduated John F. Kennedy High School and then attended Ramapo College in Mahwah. Jones also has had recent roles in Mr. Robot & Luke Cage." While at Ramapo, Jones had originally intended to study jazz under director Arnold Jones (no relation), but changed majors to theater after getting the lead in a production of Cinderella Ever After his sophomore year. He graduated from Ramapo in 1978.
After graduation he moved to Los Angeles, California and drove a bus for the Southern California Rapid Transit District for the following four years. He then moved around for some years, living in San Francisco, Arizona, and New Orleans, before returning to New York City in 1985.
Career After returning to New York in 1985, Jones began spending time at the Nuyorican Poets Café in Manhattan's East Village. During that time, he performed in a play based on the Billie Holiday song "Don't Explain". His performance caught the attention of a casting director, which led to Jones being offered the lead role in the Tazewell Thompson production of the Cheryl West play Holiday Heart in 1994. Jones performed in several theatrical productions with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois; appeared as the title character of Shakespeare's Richard III with The Public Theater in New York City, New York, as well as other Off Broadway productions. Jones served as an understudy or standby in several Broadway theatre productions. In 2014 Jones starred as Prometheus in Prometheus Bound directed by Travis Preston through the CalArts Center for New Performance. In 2022, he received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the Lynn Nottage play Clyde's.
His film credits include his most memorable role as Harlem drug dealer, Rich Porter's uncle "Ice" aka Johnny "Apple" Porter in the 2002 Roc-A-Fella produced film 'Paid In Full' as well as He Got Game (1998), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Half Nelson (2006), and Across The Universe (2007). In television, he appeared as Reverend Lowdown in the episode "The Goat Rodeo" of the 2013 television series Low Winter Sun and he played Romero, a member of "fsociety" in the 2015 television series Mr. Robot. He also appeared on season 3 of the show Banshee as Philadelphia kingpin Mr. Frazier. He played Harlem chess master Bobby Fish in season 1 of Marvel's Luke Cage. Jones appeared on the NBC drama series This Is Us as William Hill, the biological father of Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown). Jones received critical acclaim for his performance on This Is Us and received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020 for his performance.
Jones appeared in the Hulu teen drama series Looking for Alaska, as well as the Apple TV+ crime drama series Truth Be Told, opposite Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan and Aaron Paul.
Personal life Jones and British-born jazz singer Kim Lesley had a daughter, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones (born 1989).
Death Jones had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and underwent a double lung transplant in 2020. He died on August 19, 2023, at the age of 66, from what his agent termed "a long-standing pulmonary issue".
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1994 Murder Magic Buddy Dixon 1996 Naked Acts Joel 1998 He Got Game Prison Guard Bowell 1999 A Day in Black and White Mustafa Sweet and Lowdown Alvin 2001 Little Senegal Westley 2002 Paid in Full Ice 2004 Anonymous Frank Short film The Ballad of Pinto Red Earl House 2005 Preaching to the Choir Pug 2006 Half Nelson Lloyd Dickson 2007 Across the Universe Black Panther 2010 Ashes Floyd 2012 Watching TV with the Red Chinese Little 2013 Titus Titus 2014 Glass Chin Ray Ellington National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men Crooks 2018 Dog Days Walter Venom Jack UncreditedThe Holiday Calendar Gramps 2019 Dolemite Is My Name Ricco
Television Year Title Role Notes 1996 New York Undercover James Farris Episode: "Blue Boy" Law & Order Frank Doyle Episode: "Slave" 1997 Roland Books Episode: "Entrapment" NYPD BlueJess Episode: "All‘s Well That Ends Well" 1999 Double Platinum Jean Claude Television film 2003 Word of Honor Ramon Detonq 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Reggie Banks Episode: "Dramma Giocoso" 2008 A Raisin in the Sun Willy Harris Television film 2012 NYC 22 Arthur Anson Episode: "Schooled" 2013 Low Winter Sun Reverend Lowdown 3 episodes 2014 The Blacklist Dr. James Covington Episode: "Dr. James Covington (No. 89)" 2015 Banshee Frazier 2 episodes 2015–2016 Mr. Robot Romero 8 episodes 2016–2017 The Get Down Winston Kipling 5 episodes 2016–2018 Luke Cage Bobby Fish 13 episodes 2016–2022 This Is Us William "Shakespeare" Hill Main (season 1), recurring (seasons 2–6); 31 episodes 2019 Looking for Alaska Dr. Hyde 8 episodes 2019–2023 Truth Be Told Leander "Shreve" Scoville 28 episodes 2021 Amphibia Captain Aldo (voice) Episode: "Barrel's Warhammer" Lisey's Story Professor Dashmiel Miniseries 2021–2022 Law & Order: Organized Crime Congressman Leon Kilbride Recurring (season 2); 8 episodes 2022 Better Things Ron Recurring (season 5); 3 episodes 2024 Genius: MLK/XElijah MuhammadMain role; posthumous release
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2018 Madden NFL 19 Earl Coates Story mode, "Longshot Homecoming"
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Project Result 2017 Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Supporting ActorThis Is Us Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series OFTA Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2018 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Guest Actor Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards 2022Tony AwardsBest Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayClyde's Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play 2024 Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesTruth Be Told
See also
Lists of actors List of people from Chicago Jasmine Cephas Jones List of people from New York City
References
External links