Neal Jones
Encyclopedia
Marvin Neal Jones, Jr. is an American
stage
, film
, and television
actor
. His roles range from Billy Kostecki (aka The Watermelon Boy) in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
to Sergeant Major John Sixta in the 2008 HBO original miniseries Generation Kill
.
Jones was born in Wichita, Kansas
to Marvin Neal Jones, Sr. and Marian Myrl Jones (née Phillips). One of two children, he and his younger brother Joel spent their childhood between St. Louis, Missouri
; Athens, Georgia
; and Jefferson City, Missouri
.
After attending the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, Jones moved to New York and began his professional career in Nicol Williamson
's production of Macbeth
at the Circle in the Square, followed by The Corn Is Green
at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
and the Tony Award
-winning Big River
at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
. He went on to appear in numerous New York stage productions, including Mike Leigh
's Ecstasy
and Tom Dulack's Diminished Capacity at The New Group
, Kenneth Branagh
's Public Enemy at the Irish Arts Center, and The Great Lakes Theater Festival
’s world premiere of Dylan Thomas
's A Child's Christmas in Wales
in Cleveland, Ohio, directed by Clifford Williams. As a director he staged the world premiere of Celtic Tiger (Me Arse) by Don Creedon, and the New York premiere of Joseph O'Connor's Red Roses and Petrol, both at the Irish Arts Center in New York, where he has also served as Artistic Director. He is a member of the Actors Studio
.
His first film appearance was in Dirty Dancing
, followed by more than twenty-five films, including Taylor Hackford
's The Devil’s Advocate
(one of four films in which he appears with Al Pacino
), In America and G.I. Jane
. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2008 Malibu International Film Festival, for his role in the independent film Mona.
Jones has also appeared in some of television's most successful series, including The Sopranos
, Sex and the City
, Law & Order
, and Criminal Minds
(as Karl Arnold aka The Fox). He appeared in seven episodes of the FX series Rescue Me
as Peter Reilly, the gay son of Chief Jerry Reilly
. Jones's work in Generation Kill
was singled out for praise by reviewers Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
and Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger.
Jones also rehearses and coaches other actors for their stage, film, and television roles.
He splits his time between New York City
and Los Angeles
and lives with his wife, Jamie, and their children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. His roles range from Billy Kostecki (aka The Watermelon Boy) in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
to Sergeant Major John Sixta in the 2008 HBO original miniseries Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
.
Jones was born in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
to Marvin Neal Jones, Sr. and Marian Myrl Jones (née Phillips). One of two children, he and his younger brother Joel spent their childhood between St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
; and Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
.
After attending the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, Jones moved to New York and began his professional career in Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
's production of Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
at the Circle in the Square, followed by The Corn Is Green
The Corn is Green
The Corn Is Green is a semi-autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams.At its core is L. C. Moffat, a strong-willed English school teacher working in a small poverty-stricken coal mining town in the late 19th century...
at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 205 West 46th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, it was built by producer Charles Dillingham and opened as the Globe Theatre, in honor of London's Shakespearean playhouse, on...
and the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning Big River
Big River (musical)
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller.Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel...
at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 230 West 49th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it was built for the Shuberts as part of a theatre-hotel complex named for 19th century tragedian Edwin Forrest...
. He went on to appear in numerous New York stage productions, including Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh
Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
's Ecstasy
Ecstasy (play)
Ecstasy is a 1979 play by British playwright Mike Leigh with a six-character cast. It covers the life of four blue-collar friends living in a ratty area of London near Kilburn High Road and the drunken frustration in their lives, particularly that of the lead character Jean.Jean is a suicidal...
and Tom Dulack's Diminished Capacity at The New Group
The New Group
The New Group, an Off-Broadway theater company located at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, is an artist-driven company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater. Founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, The New Group produced its first play, Mike Leigh's...
, Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
's Public Enemy at the Irish Arts Center, and The Great Lakes Theater Festival
Great Lakes Theater Festival
Great Lakes Theater Festival is Cleveland, Ohio's professional classic theater company. Founded in 1962, the Festival is the second-largest regional theater in Northeast Ohio. It specializes in large-cast classic plays with a strong foundation in the works of Shakespeare and features an...
’s world premiere of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
's A Child's Christmas in Wales
A Child's Christmas in Wales
A Child's Christmas in Wales is a prose work by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. Originally emerging from a piece written for radio, the poem was recorded by Thomas in 1952. The story is an anecdotal retelling of a Christmas from the view of a young child and is a romanticised version of Christmases...
in Cleveland, Ohio, directed by Clifford Williams. As a director he staged the world premiere of Celtic Tiger (Me Arse) by Don Creedon, and the New York premiere of Joseph O'Connor's Red Roses and Petrol, both at the Irish Arts Center in New York, where he has also served as Artistic Director. He is a member of the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
.
His first film appearance was in Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, followed by more than twenty-five films, including Taylor Hackford
Taylor Hackford
Taylor Edwin Hackford is an American film director, and the current president of the Directors Guild of America.-Early life:Hackford was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Mary , a waitress, and Joseph Hackford...
's The Devil’s Advocate
The Devil's Advocate (film)
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
(one of four films in which he appears with Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
), In America and G.I. Jane
G.I. Jane
G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures, distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training...
. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2008 Malibu International Film Festival, for his role in the independent film Mona.
Jones has also appeared in some of television's most successful series, including The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, and Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
(as Karl Arnold aka The Fox). He appeared in seven episodes of the FX series Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
as Peter Reilly, the gay son of Chief Jerry Reilly
Jerry Reilly
Jerry Reilly was the fictional firehouse chief from the FX drama Rescue Me. The character was portrayed by Jack McGee.-Character history:Gerald Peter Reilly, of Irish descent, was a 23 year veteran of the New York Fire Department...
. Jones's work in Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
was singled out for praise by reviewers Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
and Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger.
Jones also rehearses and coaches other actors for their stage, film, and television roles.
He splits his time between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and lives with his wife, Jamie, and their children.
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dirty Dancing Dirty Dancing Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach... |
Billy Kostecki | |
| 1992 | Glengarry Glen Ross Glengarry Glen Ross (film) Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 American drama film, adapted by David Mamet from his acclaimed 1984 Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play of the same name... |
Man in Donut Shop | |
| 1993 | Romeo Is Bleeding Romeo Is Bleeding Romeo Is Bleeding is a darkly comic 1993 crime film starring Gary Oldman and Lena Olin, directed by Peter Medak. The film's title was taken from a song by Tom Waits.... |
Clerk | |
| 1996 | Looking for Richard Looking for Richard Looking for Richard is a 1996 documentary film and the first film directed by Al Pacino. It is both a performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's Richard III and a broader examination of Shakespeare's continuing role and relevance in popular culture... |
Messenger | |
| Ratchet | Sam Leary | ||
| 1997 | Silent Prey | Kevin O'Neill | a.k.a. Silent Predator |
| Sax and Violins | |||
| G.I. Jane G.I. Jane G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures, distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training... |
Duty Officer | ||
| The Devil’s Advocate The Devil's Advocate (film) The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman.... |
Larry - Florida Reporter | ||
| 1998 | Day at the Beach | Chuck Hanson | |
| Come To | Biker 1 | short film | |
| The Siege The Siege The Siege is a 1998 American thriller film directed by Edward Zwick. The film is about a fictional situation in which terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City... |
NYPD Representative | ||
| 2000 | Chinese Coffee Chinese Coffee Chinese Coffee is a play by Ira Lewis which was made into an independent film and released in New York as part of the Tribeca Film Festival, starring Al Pacino and Jerry Orbach... |
Eteocles/Actor in play | |
| 2001 | Queenie in Love | Doctor | |
| Way Off Broadway | Mr. Scott | ||
| 2002 | Bridget | Hawks Anwalt | |
| Changing Lanes Changing Lanes Changing Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:... |
Newsroom Writer | ||
| In America | Immigration Officer #1 | ||
| 2003 | Beautiful Kid | direct-to-video release | |
| 2004 | Zombie Honeymoon Zombie Honeymoon Zombie Honeymoon is a 2004 independent horror film produced by Hooligan Pictures. The New York Times described it as, "Not quite the campfest its absurd but undeniably catchy title suggests, Zombie Honeymoon is actually an emotionally driven blend of romance, comedy and horror." The movie won a... |
Officer Carp | |
| 2005 | Game 6 Game 6 (film) Game 6 is a 2005 American film directed by Michael Hoffman, first presented at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and released in the United States in 2006... |
Yessiree Bob | |
| 2006 | The House Is Burning The House is Burning The House Is Burning is a 2006 German drama film directed by Holger Ernst. It was screened out of competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* John Diehl - Mr. Garson* Melissa Leo - Mrs... |
Sheriff | |
| 2008 | Mona | John | Nominated—2008 Malibu International Film Festival, Best Supporting Actor |
| 2009 | Carbone's Birthday | Pachenko | short film |
| 2010 | Heterosexuals | Barry |
Television
| Year | Series | Episode(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Monsters Monsters (TV series) Monsters is a syndicated horror anthology series which originally ran from 1988 to 1991 and reran on the Sci-Fi Channel during the 1990s. As of 2011, Monsters airs on NBC Universal's horror/suspense-themed cable channel Chiller in sporadic weekday marathons.In a similar vein to Tales from the... |
"Taps" | Gary Gregory |
| 1991 | Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... |
"Misconception Misconception (Law & Order episode) "Misconception" is the fifth episode in the second series of the long-running crime drama television series Law & Order. It was aired on October 15, 1991.-Plot:... " |
Ray |
| 1995 | Law & Order | "Privileged" | Bill D. |
| 1998 | Law & Order | "Bad Girl" | Mr. Flynn |
| 1999 | Sex and the City Sex and the City Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes... |
"The Awful Truth" | Richard |
| 2000 | Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... |
"Demolition Derby" | Brian |
| 2001 | The Sopranos The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads... |
"Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" | Agent Tancredi |
| 2004 | The Jury The Jury (TV series) The Jury is an American legal drama television series that was broadcast by the Fox Network in 2004. Each week, in the same New York City courtroom, a new 12-person jury deliberates over a criminal case... |
"The Honeymoon Suite" | Kevin Sykes |
| Rescue Me Rescue Me (TV series) Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show... |
"Kansas", "Orphans" | Peter Reilly | |
| 2005 | "Sensitivity", "Reunion", "Shame", "Believe", "Brains" | ||
| Criminal Minds Criminal Minds Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime... |
"The Fox" | Karl Arnold a.k.a. The Fox | |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama... |
"Maltese Cross", "Weeping Willow" | Chief of Detectives Bradshaw |
| 2007 | "Flipped Flipped (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode) "Flipped" is a sixth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Plot summary:In this episode, Detectives Logan and Wheeler investigate the murder of a young hip-hop artist, shot to death while leaving a radio station after finishing an interview and debuting his latest... " |
||
| Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office... |
"Seven Feet Under" | Russell Berman | |
| 2008 | Generation Kill Generation Kill (TV series) Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,... |
Seven episodes—complete series | Sgt. Maj. John Sixta |
| 2009 | Law & Order | "Take-out" | Alex Boone |
| Criminal Minds | "Outfoxed" | Karl Arnold a.k.a. The Fox |