| Jeffrey Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeffrey Duncan Jones September 28, 1946 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, |
| Years active | 1970–present |
Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946[1]) is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R. Rooney in the 1986 John Hughes film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
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Jones was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Ruth (née Schooley), an art historian who urged him towards a career in acting, and Douglas Bennett Jones, who died during Jeffrey's childhood.[2][3] After briefly attending the Sylvia Herpolscheimer Academy of the Performing Arts, Jones attended Lawrence University, where he was initiated as a brother into Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He then 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.
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 Crucible, 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 series, 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.
In 2001, Jones was charged with selling cigarettes and trafficking marijuana to minors. He was fined $5,000 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service.[4]
In 2003, Jones was arrested for soliciting a 14-year-old boy to pose for sexually explicit photographs and possession of child pornography. The misdemeanor possession charge was dropped after Jones pleaded nolo contendere to inducing a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs; he was sentenced to five years' probation, ordered to undergo counseling, and required to register as a sex offender for life.[5]
In 2004[6] and 2010, Jones was arrested for failing to update his sex offender registration. On September 28, 2010, Jones was sentenced to three years' probation and 250 hours of community service.[1]