Christopher Jones
William "Billy" Frank Jones, better known as Christopher Jones, was an American character actor, born August 18, 1941 in Jackson, Tennessee. With looks and a manner strikingly reminiscent of the late James Dean, Jones came from a similar background to Dean's, but his interest in the arts began with drawing, which earned him an Art school scholarship in his teens. Jones's enjoyment of movies interested him in acting, and he began to study filmed performances, particularly those of James Dean (East of Eden) and Elvis Presley (Love Me Tender), whom he considered his first idol. After serving briefly in the United States Army (and going AWOL to visit Dean's family in Fairmount, Indiana), Jones studied painting in New York City, then began acting classes. Befriended by Frank Corsaro, who had also been a friend of Dean's, Jones (adopting the stage name Christopher) made his Broadway debut on December 17, 1961, in Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana, directed by Corsaro and starring actress Shelley Winters. Winters introduced Jones to Susan Strasberg, an actress herself, and the daughter of Method acting progenitor Lee Strasberg. Jones went on to study at Strasberg's Actors Studio, and despite personal friction between Lee and himself, "Chris" went on to marry Susan in 1965. The couple had a daughter, named Jennifer Robin Jones, in 1966. Moving to Hollywood, Jones was cast in the title role of an ABC television series, The Legend of Jesse James (produced by 20th Century Fox), which ran for thirty-four episodes in the 1965-1966 season. When the series ended, he accepted the role of Strasberg's lover/husband in the movie Chubasco. The marriage did not long survive the filming, for the couple divorced in 1968. Jones's next acting job, as rock star and Presidential wannabe Max Frost in the 1968 cult classic Wild in the Streets (costarring Shelley Winters), propelled Jones to the peak of his stardom. He appeared later that same year with Yvette Mimieux, in the sex comedy Three in the Attic. Jones also became friends with actress Sharon Tate and her husband Roman Polanski. He claimed later to have had an affair with Tate (while she was pregnant with Polanski's child), and to have had a premonition of her death, before she was murdered by members of the Manson family.
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 9.304 |
Birthday | 1941-08-18 |
Place of Birth | Jackson, Tennessee, USA |
Also Known As | Chris Jones, William Frank Jones, Billy Jones, |
1968
Wild in the Streets
5.9/30
Musician Max Frost lends his backing to a Senate candidate who wants to give 18-year-olds the right to vote, but he takes things a step further than e...
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Wild in the Streets
1970
The Looking Glass War
5.463/27
When a Polish sailor jumps ship in Britain, a couple of local intelligence operatives keep him under surveillance. Soon, he’s recruited to infiltrate...
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The Looking Glass War
1969
A Brief Season
0/0
A young American agent living in Rome meets with a beautiful Swedish translator.
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A Brief Season
1968
Chubasco
3.5/2
A wild beach boy takes a job on a tuna fishing boat.
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Chubasco
1968
Three in the Attic
4.5/12
In the swinging sixties three girls discover they have the same boyfriend who has been playing around with them all while vowing fidelity to each. To...
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Three in the Attic
1970
Ryan's Daughter
7.1/149
The wife of an Irish school teacher is branded a traitor when she falls for a British officer who is part of an occupying force in 1917 Ireland.
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Ryan's Daughter
1996
Mad Dog Time
5.5/40
With his boss in the madhouse, a mobster is temporary boss of the criminal empire just as vicious rivals threaten the control of the empire.
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