CJ Jones (born 1949/1950)[1] is an American actor residing in Los Angeles. He is one of the subjects of See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009).[2][3][4][5] Jones made his feature film debut with Edgar Wright's Baby Driver (2017), in which he portrays Joseph, the deaf foster father of Ansel Elgort's protagonist.[6]
He has developed three one-man shows that have toured the United States, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Ecuador, and Canada. He co-wrote and directed six classic fairy tales for children's television for the series Once Upon a Sign. CJ produced the International Sign Language Theater Festival, which hosted theater artists from all over the world. He has also appeared in various episodes of American TV series.
Jones created a Na'vi sign language for Avatar: The Way of Water, in which he plays a Na'vi.[1]
Personal life
CJ Jones is the son of deaf parents who communicated in American Sign Language. One of seven hearing children born to the couple, he lost his hearing at the age of 7 when he fell ill with spinal meningitis. He attended Missouri School for the Deaf. Active in sports, he was voted class valedictorian. He remains active in deaf awareness causes and charities.
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary | Himself | Documentary |
| 2017 | Baby Driver | Joe | |
| 2019 | Door in the Woods | Uriah | |
| 2022 | True Value | Himself | Documentary |
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | Metkayina Interpreter | uncredited |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | A Different World | CJ | Episode: "A Word in Edgewise" |
| 2003 | Cold Case | Junkie | Episode: "The Runner" |
| 2003 | Frasier | Customer #1 | Episode: "I'm Listening" |
| 2007 | Lincoln Heights | Luther | Episode: "House Arrest" |
| 2018 | Castle Rock | Odin Branch | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | This Close | Craig | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Everything's Gonna Be Okay | Eric | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | The Last of Us | — | Episode: "Endure and Survive" (ASL consultant) |
References
- ^ a b "Avatar hire renowned deaf actor CJ Jones to create sign language". Stuff. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ See What I'm Saying official website Archived 2011-08-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ See What I'm Saying trailer on Captionfish website
- ^ Jeanette Catsoulis (April 9, 2010). "'Deaf, and Trying to Make It in Showbiz". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary -- movie trailer
- ^ Polowy, Kevin. "'Baby Driver' Breakout: How Scene-Stealing Deaf Actor CJ Jones Wowed Edgar Wright". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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