Vinnie Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vinnie Jones
Jones in 2013
Born	Vincent Peter Jones (1965-01-05) 5 January 1965 (age 60) Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation	Actor presenter footballer
Spouse(s)	Tanya Terry ​ ​ (m. 1994; her death 2019)​
Children	2
Association football career Position(s) Midfielder Youth career 1975–1977 Bedmond Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1984–1986 Wealdstone 38 (2) 1986 → IFK Holmsund (loan) 22 (1) 1986–1989 Wimbledon 77 (9) 1989–1990 Leeds United 46 (5) 1990–1991 Sheffield United 35 (2) 1991–1992 Chelsea 42 (4) 1992–1998 Wimbledon 177 (12) 1998–1999 Queens Park Rangers 9 (1) Total 446 (36) International career 1994–1997 Wales 9 (0) *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a famous English actor, TV presenter, and former professional footballer.

Jones played as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999. He was well-known for playing with teams like Wimbledon, Leeds United, and Chelsea. He also played for and was captain of the Welsh national team. He is best remembered for being a key part of Wimbledon's "Crazy Gang". With them, he won the 1988 FA Cup final in 1988. He played over 200 games for Wimbledon during two periods. Jones played 184 games in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals. He was known as a very tough footballer with a strong and physical style of play. This image often led to him playing similar roles in his movies.

His acting career started with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998. He won an Empire Award for Best Newcomer for this role. For Snatch (2000), he won the Empire Award for Best British Actor. He has also appeared in many other films and TV shows. Some of these include Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Mean Machine (2001), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and The Gentlemen (2024).

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Vincent Peter Jones was born on 5 January 1965, in Watford, England. His parents were Glenda and Peter Jones. He went to school in nearby Bedmond and Abbots Langley. He was the captain of his school's football team and played for his local team in Bedmond. One of his grandmothers was Welsh, which later allowed him to play for the Wales national team.

Starting in Football

Jones began playing football as a teenager in local amateur leagues. When he was 19, he joined Wealdstone as a semi-professional player in 1984. He was part of the Wealdstone team that won the non-league "double" in the 1984–85 season. He also worked as a builder's helper while playing football.

He then played one season on loan with the Swedish club IFK Holmsund in 1986. He helped them win their league title.

Joining Wimbledon's "Crazy Gang"

In 1986, at 21 years old, Jones became a full-time professional footballer. He was signed by Wimbledon for £10,000. He scored in only his second game for Wimbledon in November 1986. He was a key player in the Wimbledon team that famously won the FA Cup in 1988. They beat the league champions Liverpool 1–0 in the final. Wimbledon became known as a tough team, and Jones was a leading member of their famous "Crazy Gang".

Moving to Other Clubs

In June 1989, Jones moved from Wimbledon to Leeds United for £650,000. He played almost every game as Leeds won the Second Division title in 1990. He then played for Sheffield United and Chelsea.

After one season at Chelsea, he returned to Wimbledon in 1992. This was when the Premier League had just started. He helped Wimbledon achieve their best league finish, coming sixth in the Premier League in 1994. He scored the winning goal against Arsenal in 1997. Jones left Wimbledon for the second time in 1998 to become a player/coach for QPR. He retired from football later that year at age 34.

Playing for Wales

In December 1994, Jones was chosen to play for the Welsh national squad. He qualified because his maternal grandfather was Welsh. He made his international debut for Wales on 14 December 1994. He played nine times for Wales in total. His last international game was in March 1997.

Vinnie Jones's Playing Style

Jones was known for his "hard man" image on the football field. He was sent off 12 times during his career. He holds the record for the fastest booking in a football match. He received a yellow card after just five seconds in an FA Cup game in 1992.

Other Football Activities

In 2010, Jones gave his 1988 FA Cup winners medal to the fans of AFC Wimbledon. The medal is now displayed at the club's stadium. In 2020, Jones appeared on the TV show Harry's Heroes. He played for the England legends team in a warm-up game.

Acting Career Highlights

Jones with Keith David in 2010

In 1998, Jones started his acting career in the crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He played a character named Big Chris. He won an award for Best Newcomer for this role.

Since then, he has often played tough characters like criminals or villains. He played "Bullet-Tooth Tony" in Snatch (2000), winning Best British Actor. He became known to American audiences in Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). He also starred as Danny Meehan in Mean Machine (2001), a British remake of The Longest Yard. In this film, he played a former England football captain who leads a team of prisoners against prison guards.

In 2006, he played the comic book villain Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand. He also appeared in the football film She's the Man as a coach. In 2010, Jones was a housemate on the TV show Celebrity Big Brother 7. He finished in third place.

Jones has continued to act in many films and TV shows. He played a professional killer in the Kazakhstani film Liquidator (2011). He also voiced Freddie the Dog in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012). He appeared with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (2013). In 2021, Jones competed on the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Volcano". He was the first contestant to be eliminated.

Personal Life

Vinnie Jones was born in Watford and grew up in Garston. He met Tanya Terry when they were both 12 years old. They were next-door neighbours in Watford. They got married in 1994. Tanya had a daughter from her first marriage. Jones has a son, Aaron, born in 1991.

In November 2013, Jones had treatment for skin cancer. His wife, Tanya, was also diagnosed with skin cancer. It later spread to her brain. Tanya passed away from cancer on 6 July 2019. Jones has said that he does not plan to remarry.

Jones wrote an autobiography called Vinnie: The Autobiography. Since 2021, he has lived in both Los Angeles and Petworth, West Sussex. He has described himself as a supporter of the Conservative Party.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Music videos

• Westlife - "Bop Bop Baby" (2002)
  • As Duke Vincent, the vilest man in the kingdom for money. The band members serve as Musketeers who are imprisoned in a dungeon by the Duke.
• Steve Aoki & LOOPERS - "Pika Pika" (2018)
  • Originally filmed for Steve Aoki & Knife Party - "Piledriver", but the original video was unreleased and the footage was re-edited and reused

Discography

Studio albums

• 2002: Respect

Singles

• "Wooly Bully" (1993)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Vinnie Jones para niños