Ron Cephas Jones, who will be best remembered for playing the role of William Hill on successful TV drama 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," the actor's representative shared in a statement. "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."
Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Jones initially intended to study jazz, but switched his focus to acting at College. That said, it would be several years before he started to score roles on stage in New York, driving a bus in Los Angeles in the time before he began acting.
Jones' screen career began later in life, and his TV credits include Law & Order, New York Undercover, NYPD Blue, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Blacklist, Banshee, Mr. Robot, The Get Down and Luke Cage, more recently appearing in Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told.
His film CV boasts the likes of Half Nelson, Across The Universe, He Got Game, Sweet And Lowdown, Titus, Venom and Dolemite Is My Name.
But it is as William Brown, the father who gives up son Randall for adoption only to reconnect years later (while suffering from cancer) in This Is Us.
Sterling K. Brown, who played Cephas Jones' onscreen son in the series offered his own memorial via Instagram.
Cephas Jones is survived in real life by his daughter, Blindspotting actor and Hamilton stage veteran Jasmine Cephas Jones.