Orlando Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orlando Jones |
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Jones in 2015
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| Born | April 10, 1968 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 is an American comedian and actor. He was born on April 10, 1968. Many people know him from the TV show MADtv. He was one of the first actors on that show. He was also famous for being the 7 Up drink spokesman. Later, he played the African god Anansi in the TV series American Gods.
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Early Life and First Steps in Entertainment
Orlando Jones was born in Mobile, Alabama. This was in 1968. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Mauldin, South Carolina. He finished Mauldin High School in 1985. One fun early acting role was playing a werewolf. He did this in a haunted house to help raise money for a school dance.
Jones went to the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He left college in 1990 to follow his dream. He wanted to work in the entertainment world. He started a company with comedian Michael Fechter. It was called Homeboy's Productions and Advertising. They even worked on a McDonald's commercial. It featured basketball star Michael Jordan.
In 1987, Jones got his first job in Hollywood. He wrote for the NBC comedy show A Different World. He also had a small part in one episode. From 1991 to 1992, he wrote for the Fox show Roc. In 1993, he helped produce The Sinbad Show. He also appeared briefly on the FOX sitcom Herman's Head.
Career Highlights
Becoming a Star on MADtv
In 1994, Orlando Jones hosted a music show called Sound FX. After that, he became one of the first nine actors on MADtv. This was a popular sketch comedy show. Even though he didn't have much sketch comedy experience, he was a big hit.
On MADtv, Jones played many funny characters. One was Dexter St. Croix, a band leader. Another was Reverend LaMont Nixon Fatback. He was also great at imitating famous people. These included Thomas Mikal Ford and Ice Cube.
After two seasons, Jones left MADtv to act in movies. But he came back in 2004. This was to celebrate the show's 200th episode.
Other Television Roles
Besides MADtv, Jones appeared in many other TV shows. He became very well-known as the spokesman for 7 Up drinks. He starred in many funny commercials for them. One famous commercial showed him wearing a shirt. It had the slogan "Make 7 Up Yours" split on the front and back.
This made him very popular and led to many new chances. In 2003, he had his own talk show on FX. It was called The Orlando Jones Show. Even though it was short, he kept acting. He appeared on The Bernie Mac Show and Girlfriends.
In 2006, Jones returned to TV in a big way. He played a main character, Cayman Bishop, in the ABC crime show The Evidence. He also appeared in two episodes of Everybody Hates Chris. In 2008, he played Harold Wilcox on New Amsterdam. He was also the first guest star on Wild 'N Out.
Jones co-hosted ABC's game show Crash Course. In 2009, he played Marcus Foreman on House. From 2013 to 2015, he was a main actor in the FOX series Sleepy Hollow. This show was very popular when it first started.
From 2016 to 2019, Jones played Mr. Nancy. This character was the African god Anansi. He appeared in the Starz series American Gods.
Film Appearances
After leaving MADtv, Orlando Jones started acting in more movies. He had a small part in In Harm's Way (1997). Then he appeared in Sour Grapes (1998). He also acted in Woo (1998) and Office Space (1999). He was in Liberty Heights (1999) and Magnolia (1999). In 2000, he was in Bedazzled.
In the 2000s, Jones's movie career grew. He played Clifford Franklin in The Replacements (2000). He also appeared in a horror film. In 2001, he had a lead role in Double Take. He worked with famous actors in Evolution (2001). Jones was also in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009). He played Vox 114 in The Time Machine (2002). Other films include Drumline (2002), Biker Boyz (2003), and Runaway Jury (2003).
In 2011, Jones was in a documentary called Looking for Lenny. He talked about Lenny Bruce and freedom of speech. In 2012, he starred in an online thriller series called Meridian. In 2013, he played a prank. He said he would take over the role of Madea from Tyler Perry. But it was just an April Fools' joke!
Voice Acting Work
Orlando Jones has also done a lot of voice acting. In 1993, he was in Yuletide in the 'hood. In 1998, he voiced a character in King of the Hill. He also lent his voice to Father of the Pride and Yin Yang Yo!. He 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 Jacqueline Staph in 2009. She used to be a model. They have one daughter together.
Images for kids
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Jones in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Orlando Jones para niños
