Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeffrey Duncan Jones |
Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television shows, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Milos Forman’s Academy Award winning Amadeus, and as the infamous dean of students, Edward R. Rooney, in the 1986 John Hughes film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Early life
Jones was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Ruth (née Schooley), an art historian who urged Jones towards a career in acting, and Douglas Bennett Jones, who died during Jones's childhood.[1][2] Jones went to London in 1969 to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, following that up with a three-year stint with the Stratford Theatre in Stratford, Ontario.
Career and filmography
Jones began acting in small parts in film and TV in the late ’70s. A supporting role in the 1983 Rodney Dangerfield film Easy Money, and a guest shot on Remington Steele led to his replacing Ian Richardson in Miloš Forman’s 1984 adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play Amadeus as Emperor Joseph II; he received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture for his performance. Jones’ performance as Mr. Edward R. Rooney, Dean of Students in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off made him a cultural icon. Rooney, self-important and obsessed with catching the chronically truant Ferris Bueller, became a symbol of stuffed-shirt pomposity and authoritarian hatefulness. Jones has proven to be a favorite of director Tim Burton’s, starring in Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow, and has also appeared in such prominent films as The Hanoi Hilton, The Hunt for Red October, Howard the Duck, Houseguest, The Devil’s Advocate, and Stuart Little. Jones also had a key role in The Pest, a comedy starring John Leguizamo, as the evil German trying to hunt Pestario "Pest" Vargas. Other key roles for Jones include Stay Tuned, where he played Mr. Spike, and the 1992 comedy Mom and Dad Save the World, where he played Dick Nelson. Jones was costarred in the 1999 cult favorite cannibal western Ravenous.
Jones has guested on a number of television shows, including Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, and Wayside. In 1989, Jones starred in Wes Craven’s short-lived CBS sitcom The People Next Door, where he played a cartoonist whose imagination could make things come to life. He also appeared as famous newspaper publisher A. W. Merrick on HBO’s highly acclaimed show Deadwood. His latest film, Who's Your Caddy?, debuted in 2007.
Sex offense arrest and conviction
In 2002, Jones was arrested for possession of child pornography and employing a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic photographs.[3][4][5] In a plea bargain, the possession of child pornography charge was dropped, and Jones pleaded no contest to inducing a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs. He was sentenced to five years probation, and was ordered to undergo counseling and register as a sex offender.[6][7] In July 2004, he was arrested by Florida police after failing to notify them of his change of residence as required under Florida's version of Megan’s Law.[8] After the minor became an adult, he sued Jones in civil court in 2004.[9]
References
- ^ Jeffrey Jones Biography. Film Reference.com.
- ^ Jeffrey Jones. Yahoo! Movies.
- ^ data sheet on Jeffery Jones as a sex offender from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- ^ Jeffrey Jones Sex Offender Bust. The Smoking Gun.
- ^ Ferris Bueller star denies porn charges. BBC News. 22 November 2002.
- ^ "Actor Gets Probation for Inducing Boy to Pose Nude", Los Angeles Times, July 9, 2003, p. 4.
- ^ Jeffrey Jones Pleads No Contest to Porn Charges. ContactMusic.com. 7 September 2003.
- ^ Shamed Actor Charged with Failing to Register on Sex List. ContactMusic.com. 7 May 2004.
- ^ "Actor Hit With Teen Sex Suit". The Smoking Gun. Retrieved 2009-03-22.