Orlando Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orlando Jones
Jones in 2015
Born	(1968-04-10) April 10, 1968 (age 57) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Medium	Character actor, sketch comedy
Years active	1987–present
Genres	Film, television, stand-up
Spouse	Jacqueline Staph ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1

Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American comedian and actor. He is famous for being one of the first cast members of the TV show MADtv. He was also the face of 7 Up drinks from 1999 to 2002. More recently, he played the African god Anansi in the TV series American Gods.

Early Life and First Steps in Entertainment

Orlando Jones was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1968. His father was a professional baseball player. When Orlando was a teenager, his family moved to Mauldin, South Carolina. He finished Mauldin High School in 1985. One of his first acting experiences was playing a werewolf in a haunted house. This helped raise money for his school prom.

After high school, Jones went to the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He left in 1990 to follow his dreams in entertainment. He started a company called Homeboy's Productions and Advertising with comedian Michael Fechter. They even worked on a McDonald's commercial with basketball star Michael Jordan.

Jones got his first job in Hollywood in 1987. He started as a writer for the TV comedy A Different World. He even had a small role in the show. Later, he wrote for the TV series Roc and helped produce The Sinbad Show.

Orlando Jones's Acting Career

Becoming a Star on MADtv

In 1994, Orlando Jones became one of the first nine cast members of MADtv. This was a popular sketch comedy show on Fox. Even though he didn't have much sketch comedy experience, he quickly became a favorite.

On MADtv, Jones played many funny characters. These included Dexter St. Croix, a band leader, and Reverend LaMont Nixon Fatback. He was also known for his impressions of famous people like Thomas Mikal Ford and Ice Cube. After two seasons, Jones left MADtv to act in movies. However, he returned in 2004 to celebrate the show's 200th episode.

Other Exciting TV Roles

Besides MADtv, Jones appeared in many other TV shows. He became widely known as the spokesperson for 7 Up in a series of funny commercials. This made him very popular and opened up many new chances for him.

In 2003, he had his own talk show called The Orlando Jones Show on FX. Even though it was short, he kept appearing on TV. He was in The Bernie Mac Show and Girlfriends. In 2006, he played Inspector Cayman Bishop in the crime drama The Evidence. He also appeared in Everybody Hates Chris as a substitute teacher and later as a character named Clint Huckstable.

In 2013, Jones joined the FOX TV series Sleepy Hollow. He played Captain Frank Irving. This show was very popular when it first started. From 2016 to 2019, he played Mr. Nancy, also known as the African god Anansi, in the Starz series American Gods.

Movies and Voice Acting

After leaving MADtv, Orlando Jones started acting in more movies. He appeared in films like Office Space (1999) and Liberty Heights (1999). He also starred in The Replacements (2000) and the sci-fi comedy Evolution (2001). Some of his other movies include The Time Machine (2002) and Drumline (2002).

Jones has also done a lot of voice acting. He lent his voice to animated TV shows like King of the Hill and Father of the Pride. He also voiced characters in video games like Halo 2 and L.A. Rush. In 2006, he helped create and voice characters for the MTV2 animated series The Adventures of Chico and Guapo.

Personal Life

Orlando Jones married former model Jacqueline Staph in 2009. They have one daughter together.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Orlando Jones para niños