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Sad news this weekend out of Hollywood:
Ron Cephas Jones, the Emmy-winning actor best known for recently having played William Hill on NBC’s beloved drama This Is Us, has passed away.
He was 66 years old.
According to the veteran star’s representative, Jones died of pulmonary-related health issues.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” the rep’s statement reads.
“He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.”
“Ron’s inner-beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on This is Us.
“He is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones.”
Cephas Jones underwent a double lung transplant in 2020 due chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
On This Is Us, he played the biological father of Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown).
He was a cast member on the first season of this six-year long hit — and although his character died, Hill made many appearances throughout the series in flashbacks that explored William’s life as a queer artist and drug addict.
Jones won a guest acting Emmy in 2018 and another in 2020.
That same year, his daughter earned her first Emmy, making the pair the first-ever father-daughter winners in the same year.
Jones’s television credits also included roles on shows like Mr. Robot, Looking for Alaska, Truth Be Told, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and Better Things.
Shortly after the news of his passing went public, numerous This Is Us colleagues posted emotional tributes to the actor on social media.
In a heartfelt Instagram post on Saturday, for example, Brown wrote in part:
“The world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed.”
Mandy Moore, for her part, shared a photo of her and Jones from the show’s finale, calling him “pure magic as a human and an artist” and saying that working with him was “the greatest gift.”
Chrissy Metz, meanwhile, wrote:
“Ron, thank you for brightening every room you walked into. I’ll never forget and have been changed by your kind heart, amazing spirit, immeasurable talent and beautiful smile.
“May your transition be full of light and peace. … You are truly the coolest cat.”
Jones previously recalled to Entertainment Weekly in May 2022 how his costars and producers helped him through a life-threatening health scare on his final day on set, telling them:
“You cats held me when I was struggling and you didn’t let me go.
“You’ve been there for a very difficult part of my life. I’m a walking miracle.”
We send our condolences to the friends, family members and loved ones of Ron Cephas Jones. May he rest in peace.
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