August 20th 2023.
The world of acting has suffered a great loss with the passing of Ron Cephas Jones, the award-winning actor renowned for his television role in "This Is Us" and his stage work. His spokesperson confirmed to People that he passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.
Jones was highly regarded for his work in the theater and was recently nominated for a Tony Award, winning the Drama Desk Award For Outstanding Featured Actor for his performance in Clyde's. He began his career in the 1980s, but he gained significant recognition for his role as "William" in the NBC drama "This Is Us." His performance on the show earned him four Primetime Emmy nominations and he won two of them. His daughter, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, was also an Emmy winner that year, making them the first father-daughter duo to win the award.
Jones revealed his battle with pulmonary disease to the New York Times in 2021 and he received a double lung transplant in 2020. He expressed his gratitude for the surgery as it allowed him to continue to do what he loved. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said, "My whole life has been the stage. The idea of not performing again seemed worse to me than death."
Just last December, Cephas Jones was cast as Nation of Islam Leader Elijah Mohammed in Disney+ and NatGeo's new series "Genius:MLK/X," but it is yet to be confirmed if he had completed filming for the show. His passing is a great loss to the acting community, but his presence and timeless work will be remembered. His spokesperson's statement conveyed how "his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness, and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him."
Ron Cephas Jones is survived by his daughter who has yet to speak publicly on the heartbreaking news. His life and work will continue to be celebrated and honored.
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