Ron Cephas Jones passed away on Aug. 19, at age 66, and his death significantly diminished a light in this world, especially in the lives of those who knew and loved him.
Jones wasn’t just a talented actor, as shared by those who love him in their heartfelt tributes to his life following his untimely absence; he was also the kind of man you instantly fall in love with. Full of compassion, understanding, and a deep-seated appreciation for his life and those in it — he met each day, whether at work or home, with a smile.
The Emmy-Award-winning actor touched the lives of everyone he met and millions worldwide who’d never greeted him in person but welcomed him into their homes via movies and television. Those lucky enough to really know him, however, understood the total weight of his magic, and one such individual who thanks their stars for knowing the actor is Octavia Spencer — who worked with Jones in Truth Be Told.
Her lovely social media post paying homage to his life and how she learned from him quickly brought a tear to our eyes. Spencer says that she learned so much in spending just eight hours a day with him, and the way she cherished their time together was evident in every word she wrote:
“I’m heartbroken to lose my dear friend and colleague Ron Cephas Jones @cephasjaz. Ron was an incredibly talented actor and, most importantly, a wonderfully kind human being. Every day on set with Ron was a good day. I’m sending all my love to his daughter Jasmine, family, friends, and fans. Update: this one is hitting very hard. I learned so much from Ron in every single scene we had together.
Whenever I saw his name on the call sheet I would get excited because I knew I’d be getting a year’s worth of technique in that 8-hour day. For those pursuing acting as a living, let Emmy Award Winner, Ron Cephas Jones, be the type of perfection you strive to achieve. That man could break down a scene. Jasmine gets it honestly.”
Every tribute to Jones spoke of his wisdom, care, and love for those around him, especially his daughter and the passion projects he brought to the big screen. None of them gutted us more than his portrayal of William “Shakespeare” Hill in This Is Us.
The series wowed us with each episode, making us laugh before bringing us to tears; some of them more heartwrenching than we ever imagined, but every moment was beautiful, and Jones’ impact on the series was one of the most important.
Those who worked alongside Jones as William got to witness not just the birth of an amazing character but the heart of the actor who brought him to life — and what a gift that was. “Life imitates art,” Sterling K. Brown began, and while we wish both William and Ron had more time, one thing is for sure; they were both deeply loved.
Ever since fans of the series heard of his death, they have been pouring their hearts out in honor of Jones’ legacy, mourning how someone as magnificent as the actor deserved much more time.
As major fans of This Is Us, we thought back to this speech when we heard of Jones’ passing. The speech that William (from the afterlife) gave Rebecca about “the end.”
“The way I see it, if something makes you sad when it ends, it must have been pretty wonderful when it was happening. Truth be told, I always felt it a bit lazy to just think of the world as sad, because so much of it is. Because everything ends. Everything dies. But if you step back, if you step back and look at the whole picture, if you’re brave enough to allow yourself the gift of a really wide perspective, if you do that, you’ll see that the end is not sad, Rebecca. It’s just the start of the next incredibly beautiful thing.”
“It’s just the start of the next incredibly beautiful thing,” he tells her — and we’ve never hoped it more. May Jones’ family and loved ones always feel his presence with them, and may his next journey be full of love as he prepares to embrace the next incredibly beautiful thing.