Ron Cephas Jones, Emmy winner for This Is Us, dies at 66

Actor Ron Cephas Jones, who gained popularity for his work in Mr Robot and This Is Us, has died. He breathed his last on August 18. He was 66 at the time of his passing. 

3 things you need to know: 

• Ron Cephas Jones was popular for playing the role of William Hill in This Is Us (2016 - 2022).
• He won two Emmys for his This Is Us role.
• In 2020, both he and his daughter Jasmine got an Emmy, which made them the first-ever father-daughter Emmy winners.

Ron Cephas Jones' cause of death revealed

According to AP, a representative for Jones released a statement that revealed the cause of his death. It read, “Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.” The statement further read that he had immense love for the stage, which shaped his career. 

(Actor Ron Cephas Jones with his two Emmy awards for This Is Us | Image: cephasjaz/Instagram)

In a conversation with The New York Times in 2021, Jones revealed that he covertly dealt with his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and underwent a double lung transplant procedure in 2020 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. In 2022, he told Today that he felt motivated to recover speedily after his performance in Clyde’s on Broadway, for which he earned a Tony nomination.

(Ron Cephas Jones attending the Emmys | Image: Associated Press News)

As per Deadline, the actor was also cast in the fourth season of Genius: MLK/X as Elijah Muhammad. He will posthumously appear in history-based anthology series as the mentor to Malcolm X. 

Popular roles of Ron Cephas Jones

Ron Cephas Jones was known for several roles across theatre, television and films. He was part of This Is Us (2016 - 2022), Mr. Robot (2015 - 2019), The Get Down (2016 - 2017), Marvel’s Luke Cage (2016 - 2018), Looking For Alaska (2019), Truth Be Told (2019) and other TV series. 

Meanwhile, his film credits include He Got Game (1998), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Half Nelson (2006), Glass Chin (2014), Dog Days (2018), Holiday Calendar (2018), Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and Across The Universe (2007). He was part of theatre productions of very popular plays, including Of Mice and Men.