Ron Cephas Jones
A veteran stage actor who found late-career television fame, delivering a performance of profound gentleness and heartbreak on 'This Is Us'.
1957–2023 (age 66)·American actor·Birthday: January 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Cephas Jones spent decades honing his craft in New York's theater scene before becoming a household name. A fixture in the city's vibrant off-Broadway and Shakespearean productions, he was known for a commanding presence and a voice that could rumble or soothe. His breakthrough came unexpectedly in his late fifties with the role of William Hill, the biological father of Sterling K. Brown's character on NBC's 'This Is Us.' With minimal screen time, Jones crafted a portrait of a dying man seeking redemption that was achingly human, devoid of sentimentality, and filled with quiet grace. The role earned him two Emmy Awards, making him one of the oldest actors to win in a guest category. His success was a testament to perseverance and depth, proving that a lifetime of stage work could translate into screen acting of unparalleled subtlety. He continued to work in theater and film, but remained beloved for bringing William's poignant story to life.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ron was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2023Died at 66
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as William Hill on 'This Is Us' (2018, 2020).
- Received four consecutive Emmy nominations for the same role, a rare feat for a guest actor.
- Had a long and respected career in New York theater, performing with companies like The Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival.
- Earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series as part of the 'This Is Us' cast.
- His Emmy win in 2018 made him, at age 61, one of the oldest winners in the Guest Actor category at that time.
Did You Know?
He was the father of actress and singer Jasmine Cephas Jones, who also won an Emmy, making them the first father-daughter Emmy winners in history.
He underwent a double lung transplant in 2020 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Before his acting career took off, he worked as a bench technician for a electronics company.
He was a founding member of the New York-based theater company, 'Labyrinth Theater Company'.
He credited his recovery from his lung transplant surgery with allowing him to return to finish his storyline on 'This Is Us'.
“The older you get, the more you realize it's not about what you have, it's about what you leave behind.”
