Rebecca Naomi Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rebecca Naomi Jones
Jones in 2023
Born	(1981-03-31) March 31, 1981 (age 44) New York City, U.S.
Education	University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	2007–present

Rebecca Naomi Jones (born March 31, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her powerful performances in Broadway rock musicals. Some of her best-known shows include Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Jones also made history as the first woman of color to play the character Laurey in the musical Oklahoma! on Broadway. She has also performed in New York City's famous Shakespeare in the Park.

Early Life and Education

Rebecca Naomi Jones was born in New York City. Her father was a musician and her mother was a photographer. Her mother is Jewish and her father is African-American. Growing up in a creative family helped shape her future career.

As a child, Jones sang in the children's chorus at the famous Metropolitan Opera. She went to the Berkeley Carroll School and graduated in 1999. She said, "I did theatre all throughout middle school and high school and was really into it, the same with singing."

To continue her studies, Jones attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. There, she earned a BFA, which is a special degree for students of the arts. After college, she toured the country performing in the musicals Rent and Caroline, or Change.

Career on Stage

Broadway Breakthrough

In 2008, Jones made her Broadway debut in the musical Passing Strange. Two years later, she starred as Whatsername in American Idiot, a rock musical based on the music of the band Green Day. Her performance was so popular that Paper magazine called her "the girl to call when there's a cooler-than-thou musical in town."

Major Roles and Awards

Jones has played many different characters on stage. In 2012, she was the Narrator in the Off-Broadway musical Murder Ballad. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Lucille Lortel Award, which is a major honor in theater.

In 2015, she took on the role of Yitzhak in the Broadway hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She continued to star in major productions, including Significant Other on Broadway in 2017.

One of her most famous roles came in 2018 when she played Laurey Williams in a new version of Oklahoma!. The show was a huge success and moved to Broadway in 2019. Jones's performance was praised by critics and audiences.

In 2024, she starred in the Broadway play Stereophonic as Holly. In 2025, she joined the cast of the popular musical Hadestown on Broadway, playing the role of Persephone.

Film and Television Work

Besides her work in theater, Rebecca Naomi Jones has also appeared in movies and on TV. She has had roles in films like The Big Sick (2017) and Someone Great (2019).

On television, she has been in many popular shows. These include Fringe, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blue Bloods, and High Maintenance. In 2021, she played Carolyn Franklin, Aretha Franklin's sister, in the series Genius.

Selected Roles

Theatre Highlights

Film Highlights

Television Highlights

Awards and Nominations