Following the heartbreaking news of Ron Cephas Jones‘ death, tributes to the Emmy-winning actor began pouring in last night.
Jones’ This Is Us co-stars Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown and Chrissy Metz were among those who honored the late actor online.
Brown remembered his colleague with a sweet photo of the two on Instagram alongside a deeply heartfelt caption.
“Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us. @cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright,” Brown wrote. “Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and I’ll see you when I get there. ❤️✌🏿✊🏿.”
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Moore also recalled her time on the set of This Is Us, saying she will “treasure all of the moments.”
“Getting to know and work with Ron on the wild ride of ‘This Is Us’ was the greatest gift- he was pure magic as a human and an artist…I will treasure all of the moments forever. Even though he wasn’t around set as much as we all wished, he was such an intrinsic part of the fabric of the show,” she wrote in part on the picture-sharing platform. “It’s like he was always there.”
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Metz thanked her former co-star for “brightening every room” before confessing, “I’ll never forget and have been changed by your kind heart, amazing spirit, immeasurable talent and beautiful smile.”
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Actress Lyric Ross mourned the loss of Jones in an Instagram Story on Saturday. “We’ve only shared very few words since first meeting,” she wrote. “But in that time, the impact you’ve had on me is nothing short of greatness. I thank you for letting God speak through you and I thank God for gracing me and the rest of the world with your powerful yet peaceful light. Rest in Heaven.”
The show’s screenwriter Dan Fogelman later shared a tribute via the social media site formerly known as Twitter, writing in part, “Ron was the best of the best – on screen, on stage, and in real life. The coolest. The easiest hang and laugh. And my God: what an actor.”
A massive loss. Ron was the best of the best – on screen, on stage, and in real life. The coolest. The easiest hang and laugh. And my God: what an actor. I don’t think I ever changed a single take of his in a cut… because everything he did was perfect… https://t.co/l5Ko9L1HZy
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) August 20, 2023
Along with This Is Us, Jones appeared in a slew of TV series including Law & Order: Organized Crime, Looking for Alaska, as well as the Apple TV+ true crime drama Truth Be Told alongside Octavia Spencer, who remembered him as an “incredibly talented actor and, most importantly, a wonderfully kind human being.”
“I’m heartbroken to lose my dear friend and colleague Ron Cephas Jones @cephasjaz. Ron was an incredibly talented actor and, most importantly, a wonderfully kind human being. Every day on set with Ron was a good day. I’m sending all my love to his daughter Jasmine, family, friends and fans 🤍🕊️,” Spencer began.
“I learned so much from Ron in every single scene we had together. Whenever I saw his name on the call sheet I would get excited because I knew I’d be getting a year’s worth of technique in that 8 hour day. For those pursuing acting as a living, let Emmy Award Winner, Ron Cephas Jones, be the type of perfection you strive to achieve. That man could break down a scene,” she later added, concluding, “Jasmine gets it honestly.”
As multiple outlets including Parade reported earlier this weekend, Jones passed away at age 66 after battling a “long-standing pulmonary issue.”
The actor previously opened up about his struggles with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a 2021 interview with The New York Times, revealing that, in 2020, he received a double lung transplant at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He further touched on his health issues when speaking with Today in 2022 while promoting his Broadway show Clyde’s.
“I don’t want to say a miracle but I was very fortunate. I had great doctors. It still was a very difficult and arduous recovery,” Jones said at the time. “I’m recovering for the rest of my life. You don’t get new lungs and start running track. It’s a procedure that you have to constantly work on your body. Medication is involved and therapy.”
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