This Is Us’ Susan Kelechi Watson Eulogizes Late Ron Cephas Jones: ‘What a Blessing to Have a Friend Called You’
Actor Susan Kelechi Watson is mourning the loss of her This Is Us costar Ron Cephas Jones following the news of his death on Saturday.
“It was really an instant gravitation,” Watson wrote of their relationship on Instagram. “Like anytime you were in the room I’d quickly make my way to you. Was it the New York energy, both of us getting a big break at the same time, the coolness, the swag, the stories of hardships and triumphs, the honesty, the laughter, the humor, the laughter, the laughter, the humor and the honesty. The genuiness. The freedom and generosity with which you gave your authentic self. Letting me know you. The joy of your meteoric rise at 59 years of life. Sharing deeply in that joy.
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“The fact that I could say, ‘Hey…wanna go to a diner and rehearse this scene?’ and you were 100% down with it because thats where you came from,” she said, remembering their time working together on the NBC drama series. “Read, rehearse, stage. You knew it well. It was your short hand. I got to witness first hand your commitment to wanting to give the very best performance every single time…the absolute best performance you could give. You weren’t satisfied unless everyone else was satisfied when cut was called.”
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She continued: “I appreciate all the check-ins we shared as you continued your journey onto new adventures. The reunions we had and the love that was always there. You were my friend. And what a blessing in this life to have a friend called You. You LOVED being an actor, an artist, a forever student of life. But I knew you to love nothing more than Jasmine. My heart goes out to you, [Jasmine]. You were the music to his soul. His Jaz. His jazz. His jazz.
“One time for the coolest cat. One time for the mark he left that will remain,” Watson closed her emotional tribute. “One big ol’ standing ovation for my guy, Ron Cephas Jones. Jah bless and guide you sweetly home, my friend. Missing you…”
Jones appeared in all six seasons of This Is Us. He won two Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2018 and 2020 for his work portraying Randall Pearson’s biological father in the NBC drama. The series ran between 2016 and 2022 and followed the Pearson triplets, Randall (Sterling K. Brown), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Kevin (Justin Hartley), and their parents Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), as they tackled emotional struggles together. Watson played Beth Pearson, Randall’s wife.
Jones’ other notable roles include Congressman Leon Kilbride in Law & Order: Organized Crime, Ron in Better Things, Professor Roger Dashmiel in Lisey’s Story, Dr. Hyde in Looking for Alaska, Bobby Fish in Luke Cage, Winston Kipling in The Get Down and Romero in Mr. Robot. He also appeared in The Blacklist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and NYPD Blue, among others. He most recently starred in all three seasons of Apple TV+’s true-crime drama, Truth Be Told, opposite Octavia Spencer.
His film credits include Half Nelson, Across the Universe and the TV movie, A Raisin in the Sun, to name a few.
He is survived by his daughter, actor Jasmine Cephas Jones.
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