Ron Cephas Jones, ‘This Is Us’ Actor, Dead at 66
Ron Cephas Jones, the Emmy-winning actor who starred as the beloved William Hill on This Is Us, has died. He was 66.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a rep for Jones told People magazine in a statement confirming his death.
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“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 statement read. “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,” the statement continued. “He is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones.”
Though Jones had a long career in television and film, appearing in hits including Mr. Robot, Dog Days, Luke Cage, Dolemite Is My Name, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and more, the actor was best known for his recurring role on This Is Us. He starred as the biological father of Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown), for which he won Emmys in 2018 and 2020. The late actor’s character was a recovering drug addict and music artist who battled and succumbed to stomach cancer.
Before his death, Jones was open about his health struggles, revealing in 2021 that he privately battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and received a double lung transplant. At the time, Jones said it was his desire to continue acting that kept him going. “The idea of not performing again seemed worse to me than death,” he told The New York Times.
His daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, is also an Emmy-winning actress. In 2020, the two become the first father-daughter duo to win Emmys in the same year.
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