Jeffrey Jones

For others similarly named, see Jeff Jones (disambiguation).

Jeffrey Jones
Born	Jeffrey Duncan Jones
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present

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 Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, as Charles Deetz, in Beetlejuice, and as 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' childhood. Jones went to London in 1969 to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, followed by 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 1970s. 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, starring in Beetlejuice, Ed Wood as The Amazing Criswell, and Sleepy Hollow, and he 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 co-starred in the 1999 cult favorite cannibal western Ravenous and played Inspector Lestrade in Without a Clue. In 1995, Jones co-starred with Kathy Najimy in the video storyline portion of the Walt Disney World Tomorrowland attraction ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.

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.

Child pornography involvement

On November 11, 2002, Jones was arrested for taking nude photographs of underaged boys, in violation of California Penal Code Section 311.4. He was convicted of this felony sex offense on July 8, 2003. As a part of his sentence he is required to register for life as a sex offender and to keep the authorities advised as to the location of his work and residence. Both Jones and television/film personality Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) were being investigated for child pornography (possession & production) by the Los Angeles Police Department after a 17- year-old boy made a complaint to authorities.

On July 2, 2004, Jones was arrested in Sarasota, Florida, for two felony offenses of failing to register as a sex offender. The case was dropped by the State for unknown reasons on September 7, 2004.

On June 23, 2010, Jones was arrested yet again for the felony offense of failing to register as a sex offender with the local authorities, this time in Los Angeles. He has to appear in court on August 18, 2010, and, if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison.

External links

• Jeffrey Jones at IMDb