Ron Cephas Jones, who won two Emmys for his role on This Is Us, died at the age of 66. News of his death was confirmed in a statement to People on Saturday, August 19. “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,†the statement read. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.†Jones died from a long-standing pulmonary issue, and he had a double lung transplant in 2020 stemming from the same illness.
Jones is best known for playing William Hill, the biological father of Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown), on This Is Us. He won two Emmys for the role, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. His second Emmy, in 2020, came the same year that his daughter Jasmine won one for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. They were the first father-daughter duo to win Emmys in the same year. Beyond This Is Us, Jones performed on Broadway as well as appearing in He Got Game, Across the Universe, The Get Down, and Dolemite Is My Name.
This Is Us castmates including Brown, Mandy Moore, and Chrissy Metz, together with former co-star Octavia Spencer, were among the celebrities to pay tribute to Jones on social media. “Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,†Brown captioned an Instagram post. “@cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and I’ll see you when I get there.†Jasmine shared a heartrending, black-and-white portrait of herself embracing her father, in an Instagram Story. Below, find more tributes to the late actor.
This post has been updated with tributes.