CJ Jones

Last updated
CJ Jones
CJ Jones 2014.jpg
Jones in 2014
Born1949or1950(age 74–75) [1]
Education Missouri School for the Deaf
OccupationActor

CJ Jones (born 1949 or 1950) [1] is an American actor. 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]

Contents

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

Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary HimselfDocumentary
2017 Baby Driver Joe
2019Door in the WoodsUriah
2022True ValueHimselfDocumentary
2022 Avatar: The Way of Water Metkayina Interpreteruncredited

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991 A Different World CJEpisode: "A Word in Edgewise"
2003 Cold Case JunkieEpisode: "The Runner"
2003 Frasier Customer #1Episode: "I'm Listening"
2007 Lincoln Heights LutherEpisode: "House Arrest"
2018 Castle Rock Odin Branch3 episodes
2019 This Close Craig2 episodes
2021 Everything's Gonna Be Okay Eric2 episodes
2023 The Last of Us Episode: "Endure and Survive" (ASL consultant)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Avatar hire renowned deaf actor CJ Jones to create sign language". Stuff. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. See What I'm Saying official website Archived 2011-08-27 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "See What I'm Saying trailer on Captionfish website". Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  4. Jeanette Catsoulis (April 9, 2010). "'Deaf, and Trying to Make It in Showbiz". The New York Times . Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  5. See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary -- movie trailer
  6. Polowy, Kevin. "'Baby Driver' Breakout: How Scene-Stealing Deaf Actor CJ Jones Wowed Edgar Wright". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 1 August 2017.