Christopher Jones (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones as Jesse James, in 1965
Born	William Frank Jones (1941-08-18)August 18, 1941 Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	January 31, 2014(2014-01-31) (aged 72) Los Alamitos, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965–1970, 1996
Spouse(s)	Susan Strasberg ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1968)​ Carrie Abernathy ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1983)​ Paula McKenna ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	7

William Frank Jones, known by his stage name Christopher Jones (born August 18, 1941 – died January 31, 2014), was an American actor. He performed in plays, movies, and television shows.

Early Life and Beginnings

Christopher Jones was born in Jackson, Tennessee. His father worked in a grocery store, and his mother, Robbie, was an artist. When he was young, he and his brother lived at Boys Town in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he became a fan of actor James Dean, as people often told him he looked like Dean.

Later, Jones joined the United States Army. However, he left without permission and spent some time in a military facility. After this, he moved to New York City to start his acting career. His mother passed away when he was 19 years old.

Acting Career Highlights

Christopher Jones made his first appearance on Broadway (a famous theater district) on December 17, 1961. He was in a play called The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. During this time, he met actress Susan Strasberg. She was the daughter of Lee Strasberg, a very important teacher of "method acting." Jones studied acting at Strasberg's Actors Studio. Christopher and Susan married in 1965, and their daughter, Jennifer Robin Jones, was born in 1966. They later divorced in 1968.

Jones moved to Hollywood and got the main role in the ABC television series The Legend of Jesse James. This show ran for 34 episodes from 1965 to 1966. After the series ended, he starred in the movie Chubasco (1967). Susan Strasberg played his character's love interest in the film.

He also made a guest appearance in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. called 'The Test Tube Killer Affair'. Jones then played a rock star named Max Frost in the popular movie Wild in the Streets (1968). This film also featured Shelley Winters, Hal Holbrook, and Richard Pryor.

After making two films in Europe in 1970, The Looking Glass War and Brief Season, Jones was cast in the movie Ryan's Daughter (1970) by director David Lean. Working with Lean was challenging for many actors, and the filming took much longer than expected. Later, another actor re-recorded all of Jones's lines for the movie. After filming, Jones returned to California and decided to stop acting. He focused on painting and sculpting and lived a quiet life with his children.

Later Life and Art

In 1994, director Quentin Tarantino offered Jones a role in the movie Pulp Fiction, but he turned it down. His final movie appearance was in the crime comedy Mad Dog Time (1996). This film was made by his friend, Larry Bishop, who had also been in Wild in the Streets. In his later years, Christopher Jones became a successful artist and sculptor. One of his oil paintings, a portrait of Rudolph Valentino, was displayed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Death

Christopher Jones passed away on January 31, 2014, at the age of 72. He died due to complications from gallbladder cancer. He was survived by his seven children: Jennifer Strasberg, Christopher Jones Jr., Jeromy McKenna, Delon Jones, Tauer Jones, Calin Jones, and Seagen Jones. He is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Christopher Jones para niños