Renowned stage actor, Ron Cephas Jones, who garnered two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of a father seeking redemption on the popular NBC drama series This Is Us, has sadly passed away. Jones, 66, succumbed to a long-standing pulmonary issue, his manager, Dan Spilo, confirmed. In the show, Jones portrayed William “Shakespeare” Hill, a biological father who finds a new purpose in life through his relationship with the family of his son, Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown. Following Jones’ death, Brown expressed his sorrow in an Instagram post, stating, “The world has lost one of the most incredible individuals ever. The world feels a little less vibrant now.”
Jones played a pivotal role in the early seasons of the series and continued to make appearances throughout its six-season run, thanks to the time-jumping narrative that allowed for recurring opportunities for the actors, even after their characters’ deaths. He won Emmy Awards for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020, and received two additional nominations. “My God, what an extraordinary actor,” exclaimed Dan Fogelman, the creator of This Is Us, in a heartfelt tribute. “I never had to make any adjustments to his performances because they were flawless in every way.” Jones devoted most of his career to the theater, both before and after his work on the series. He even returned to Broadway after undergoing a life-saving double lung transplant in 2020, which required him to relearn basic bodily functions such as breathing and walking.
“The stage has been my entire life,” Jones shared in a 2021 interview with The New York Times. “The thought of never performing again was more terrifying to me than death itself.” He earned a Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award in 2022 for his remarkable portrayal of a truck stop cook in Lynn Nottage’s play “Clyde’s.” Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Jones graduated from Ramapo College nearby, where he initially planned to study jazz but later switched to theater. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he traveled across the country, working as a bus driver in Southern California for several years. Jones eventually settled in New York, where he experienced a breakthrough with his lead role in Holiday Heart. His film credits include notable appearances in 2006’s Half Nelson alongside Ryan Gosling and 2019’s Dolemite Is My Name starring Eddie Murphy.
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