Early life
Jones was born in
Buffalo, New York, the son of Ruth (
née Schooley), an art historian who urged Jones towards a career in acting, and Douglas Bennett Jones, who died during Jones's childhood.
[2][3] Jones went to London in 1969 to study at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, following that up with a three-year stint with the Stratford Theatre in
Stratford, Ontario.
[edit] Career
Jones began acting in small parts in film and TV in the late ??70s. A supporting role in the 1983
Rodney Dangerfield film
Easy Money, and a guest shot on
Remington Steele led to his replacing
Ian Richardson in
Miloš Forman??s 1984 adaptation of the
Peter Shaffer play
Amadeus as
Emperor Joseph II, to whom he bore an uncanny resemblance. Jones?? performance as Mr. Edward R. Rooney, Dean of Students in
Ferris Bueller??s Day Off made him a cultural icon. Rooney, self-important and obsessed with catching the chronically truant Ferris Bueller, became a symbol of stuffed-shirt pomposity and authoritarian hatefulness. Jones has proven to be a favorite of director
Tim Burton??s, starring in
Beetlejuice,
Ed Wood, and
Sleepy Hollow, and has also appeared in such prominent films as
The Hanoi Hilton,
The Hunt for Red October,
Howard the Duck,
Houseguest,
The Devil??s Advocate, and
Stuart Little. Jones also had a key role in "
The Pest" a comedy starring John Leguizamo, as the evil German trying to hunt Pestario "Pest" Vargas. Other key roles for Jones include "
Stay Tuned" ,where he played Mr. Spike and the 1992 comedy "
Mom and Dad Save the World" ,where he played Dick Nelson.
Jones has guested on a number of television shows, including
Amazing Stories,
Tales from the Crypt, and
Wayside. In 1989, Jones starred in
Wes Craven??s short-lived CBS sitcom
The People Next Door, where he played a cartoonist whose imagination could make things come to life. He also appeared as famous newspaper publisher
A. W. Merrick on HBO??s highly acclaimed show
Deadwood. His latest film,
Who's Your Caddy, debuted in 2007.
[edit] Arrest
In 2002, Jones was arrested for possession of child pornography and employing a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic photographs.
[4] Jones pleaded no contest to the felony charges and was ordered to undergo counseling and register as a sex offender.
[5] In July 2004, he was arrested by Florida police after failing to notify them of his change of residence as required under Florida's version of
Megan??s Law.
[6] He has since been sued in civil court by the minor, who is now an adult.
[7]