- Orlando Jones
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Orlando Jones 
Orlando Jones, 2010Born April 10, 1968
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.Occupation Actor/Comedian Years active 1991 – present Spouse Jacqueline Staph (2008-present) Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American comedian and film and television actor. He is notable for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999-2002.
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Early life
Jones was born in Mobile, Alabama. His father was a former professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies.[1] He moved to Mauldin, South Carolina, when he was a teen and graduated from Mauldin High School in 1985. One of his early acting experiences involved playing a werewolf in a haunted house to help raise money for the junior/senior prom. Jones enrolled in the College of Charleston, South Carolina. He left in 1990 without finishing his degree.
To pursue his interest in the entertainment industry, Jones, together with comedian Michael Fechter, formed a production company, Homeboy's Productions and Advertising. Together Jones and Fechter worked on several projects including a McDonald's commercial with basketball superstar Michael Jordan for the McDonald's specialty sandwich the "McJordan".
He scored his first Hollywood job in 1987, writing for the NBC comedy A Different World, on which he had a small guest role in the season five finale. During 1991-92, Jones penned the Fox series Roc and, in 1993, he co-produced The Sinbad Show. He also made a brief appearance on the FOX sitcom Herman's Head in 1992.
Career
MADtv
After hosting Fox's music series Sound FX, in 1994, Jones became one of the original nine cast members of MADtv. Unlike some of his fellow original repertory performers on MADtv, Jones came to the show with limited sketch comedy experience. However, his comedy writing and television producing skills proved to be valuable to the early success of the show.
Throughout Seasons One and Two of MADtv, Jones produced characters like the Cabana Chat band leader Dexter St. Croix and Reverend LaMont Nixon Fatback, the vocal follower of Louis Farrakhan. He was also noted for his impressions of Andre 3000, Bill Cosby, Dennis Rodman, O.J. Simpson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Snoop Dogg.
Characters
- Dexter St. Croix (Cabana Chat)
- Reverend LaMont Nixon Fatback
After two seasons on MADtv, Jones left the show at the end of its second season to pursue a movie career. However, Jones returned to MADtv in 2004 to celebrate its 200th episode. Jones appeared in the opening video "Hey MAD!" where he lampooned Andre 3000. With his guest appearance, Jones became the third (out of five) original cast member to return as a guest on the show. The other original cast members who have returned are Nicole Sullivan, Phil LaMarr, Artie Lange, and Debra Wilson.
During his time at MADtv, he roomed with Artie Lange, a former co-host on The Howard Stern Show. Jones wouldn't allow Artie into the apartment if Artie had cocaine on his person. He was, however, according to Artie, very supportive and influential in helping to save Artie's life. Nicole Sullivan and David Herman of MADtv were also involved in the intervention (informing police and the show of his cocaine problem) of Artie Lange. This information was revealed on the June 12, 2006 episode of The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio by Artie Lange. Christa Miller, of The Drew Carey Show, was a roommate of Nicole Sullivan's at the time. Her appearance on The Howard Stern Show prompted Artie to reveal this information.
On July 28, 2008, Steve Langford of Howard 100 News reported that during the taping of the MADTV famous Babe Watch skit, Jones claimed that when he awoke one morning, there was a horrible stench in the room and Artie was missing. Jones said the bed was loaded with excrement. When house keeping came to clean the room he grabbed his stuff and jumped out the window to avoid being blamed. Artie Lange did confirm the incident.
Other television projects
Aside from MADtv, Jones made many other television appearances. Perhaps his most popular and enduring television appearance was not in the form of a sitcom or television drama, but rather in a series of humorous commercials for a soda company. In 2000, Jones became the spokesperson for 7 Up and he gained wide recognition.
This exposure led to a plethora of opportunities for Jones. First, he hosted an HBO First Look special in 2000 and then, in 2003, Jones was given his own late night talk show on FX called The Orlando Jones Show. Although his talk show was short lived, Jones continued to make additional television appearances. In 2003, he appeared on The Bernie Mac Show and on Girlfriends. In 2006, Jones decided to return to television as one of the lead characters of ABC's crime drama The Evidence, as Cayman Bishop. He has also appeared in two episodes of Everybody Hates Chris, the first in 2007 as Chris's substitute teacher and the second in 2008 as Clint Huckstable, an allusion to the character Cliff Huxtable played by Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show.
In 2008, he appeared as Harold Wilcox, a violent veteran with PTSD, on New Amsterdam.
In the first season of the show, Jones also starred on Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out. Jones was the first guest star on the show.
Jones was the co-host of ABC's Crash Course (which was canceled after 4 episodes).
On November 16, 2009, it was announced on TV Guide that Orlando has been cast as Marcus Foreman, Eric Foreman's brother on House.[2] Jones appeared as Marcus in Moving the Chains.
Film projects
After leaving MADtv, Jones expanded his cinema resume. He appeared in a bit part in his first big screen film, In Harm's Way (1997), Jones then joined Larry David in the feature Sour Grapes (1998), playing the character of an itinerant man. Subsequently, he appeared in Woo (1998), Mike Judge's first film Office Space (1999), alongside fellow MADtv alumnus David Herman, and in Barry Levinson's praised drama, Liberty Heights (1999). Since then, Jones has appeared in Magnolia (1999), New Jersey Turnpikes (1999) and in Harold Ramis' Bedazzled (2000).
During the 2000s, Jones' career began to branch out. In addition to his witty appearances in the 7-Up campaigns, Jones played the role of Clifford Franklin in The Replacements (2000) and he appeared in the comedy Chain of Fools (2000) and the horror film From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000). In 2001, Jones landed the role of Daryl Chase in the action-comedy Double Take (2001) alongside Eddie Griffin and worked with David Duchovny and Julianne Moore in Ivan Reitman's sci-fi comedy, Evolution (2001). Jones was also in the 2002 film Drumline alongside Nick Cannon and Zoe Saldana and he appeared as the computer Vox in The Time Machine (2002). His other more recent films includes Biker Boyz (2003), Runaway Jury (2003) and House of D (2004). Jones recently had a cameo in the Chris Rock Film I Think I Love My Wife (2007), and played in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009).
Voice acting
Jones has been featured in many voice acting projects over the years. In 1993, Jones appeared in Yuletide in the 'hood and in 1998, he made a guest appearance in the animated comedy TV Series, King of the Hill. More recently, he lent his voice to the TV series Father of the Pride and the video games Halo 2 as the marine Sergeant Banks as well as other black marines and L.A. Rush. Jones is recently reported to be starring in the ABC's crime-drama Evidence with Oscar winner Martin Landau. In 2006, he co-created, produced and voice acted for the MTV2 animated series The Adventures of Chico and Guapo.
Jones is one of eight original MADtv cast members to engage in some form of voice work after leaving the show. Only Bryan Callen has not appeared in voice acting projects. He appeared on the very first episode of Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out.
Personal life
Jones married former model Jacqueline Staph in 2008.[3]
Controversy
In October 2011, Jones tweeted, "Libyan Rebels kill Gaddafi, if American liberals want respect they better stop listening to Aretha & kill Sarah Palin."[4] Jones was panned by some bloggers for the tweet, which he said was a joke.[5]
Filmography
Year Title Role 1997 Sour Grapes Bum 1997 In Harm's Way Andre 1998 Woo Sticky Fingas 1999 Waterproof Natty Battle 1999 New Jersey Turnpikes 1999 Office Space Steve, Magazine Salesman 1999 Liberty Heights Little Melvin 1999 Magnolia Worm 2000 From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter Ezra Traylor 2000 The Replacements Clifford Franklin 2000 Chain of Fools Miss Cocoa 2000 Bedazzled Daniel/Dan/Danny, Esteban, Beach Jock, Lamar Garrett, Dr. 2001 Double Take Daryl Chase 2001 Say It Isn't So Dig McCaffrey 2001 Evolution Prof. Harry Phineas Block 2002 The Time Machine Vox 2002 Drumline Dr. Lee 2003 Biker Boyz Soul Train 2003 Runaway Jury Russell 2004 House of D Superfly 2006 Looking for Sunday Einstein Steinberg 2007 I Think I Love My Wife Nelson (Not Credited) 2007 Primeval Steve Johnson 2009 The Vampire's Assistant Alexander Ribs 2009 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Detective Ben Nickerson 2011 The Chicago 8 Bobby Seal 2011 Seconds Apart Television
Year Title Role Notes 2010 House M.D. Marcus Foreman Eric Foreman's brother 2009 Crash Course Himself Host 2008 Pushing Daisies Magnus Olsdatter New Amsterdam Harold Wilcox Everybody Hates Chris Clint Huckstable 2007 Men in Trees George Washington Everybody Hates Chris Mr. Newton 2006 The Evidence Cayman Bishop 2005 Ghost Whisperer Kaysey 2003 The Bernie Mac Show Party Planner The Orlando Jones Show Himself Host Girlfriends Dr. Darren Lucas 2000 HBO First Look Himself Host 1995–1997 MADtv Various Characters Sketch Comedy 1994–1995 Sound fX Himself Host 1992 A Different World Troy Douglas Herman's Head Cop Voice acting and video game appearances
Year Title Role Notes 2006 The Adventures of Chico and Guapo Concepción Rodriguez, Hank Holiday Animated Comedy TV Series 2005 L.A. Rush Ty Malix Video Game 2004 Father of the Pride Snack TV Series Halo 2 Marine Sergeant Banks Video Game 1997 King of the Hill Kidd Mookie Animated Comedy TV Series 1993 Yuletide in the 'hood TV Series References
- ^ Pearlman, Cindy (August 13, 2000). "Orlando Jones". Chicago Sun-Times. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4248FEA627003&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.
- ^ Natalie Abrams. "House: Orlando Jones to Play Foreman's Brother". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/House-Orlando-Jones-1012154.aspx.
- ^ Celebrity Wedding: Orlando Jones & Jacqueline Staph
- ^ Orlando Jones Tweets Advice to Liberals: 'Kill Sarah Palin'
- ^ Orlando Jones: Palin tweet 'farcical, not funny'
External links
- Official website
- Orlando Jones at the Internet Movie Database
- Biography, Filmography and Photos at Hollywood.com
Categories:- 1968 births
- Actors from Alabama
- African American actors
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- College of Charleston alumni
- Living people
- People from Mobile, Alabama
- People from South Carolina
- Dr Pepper Snapple people
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