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Mandy Moore Says Ron Cephas Jones Connected To His This Is Us Character's Death; Here's Why
Actress Mandy Moore made an emotional revelation about the passing of her This Is Us co-star Ron Cephas Jones' character death and how he felt connected to it.
Mandy Moore recently shared poignant insights about This Is Us and the impact of a beloved character's passing, which makes the show more emotional. As the family drama continues to tug at viewers' heartstrings, fans eagerly turn to the This Is Us podcast for behind-the-scenes stories. In a recent episode, Moore revisited the emotional passing of actor Ron Cephas Jones, known for his role as William on the show, recalling his struggles during filming.
Joined by her onscreen son Sterling K. Brown and actor Chris Sullivan, Moore fondly reminisced about their cherished moments from filming. During the discussion, she read an excerpt from Episode 1 of the show, triggering a poignant memory of her in-depth conversation with the late Ron Cephas Jones. Walk To Remember actress vividly recalled observing Jones' declining health at the start of filming, an experience that moved Brown to tears.
Mandy Moore Reflects On Ron Cephas Jones' Illness
While the show became famous for its heartfelt storylines and unexpected twists, one of its greatest strengths was its talented ensemble cast. Actors like Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan, and Chrissy Metz all contributed to making the show a deeply resonant experience.
Among the most beloved characters was William, portrayed by the late Ron Cephas Jones. He played a pivotal role as a catalyst for Brown's character and shared poignant scenes with Mandy Moore's character, Rebecca Pearson, throughout the series.
During her appearance on the podcast, Mandy Moore reflected on Ron Cephas Jones's profound understanding of his character's death and how he felt connected to it. She shared an excerpt from an episode of This Is Us, reading a scene where Olivia asks William how it feels to be dying. Williams's character responds, “It feels like all these beautiful pieces of life are flying all around me, and I’m trying to catch them... Catch the moments of your life; catch them while you’re young and quick because sooner than you know, you’ll be old and slow, and there will be no more of them to catch.”
The dialogue delivered by Ron Cephas Jones felt eerily reflective of his own fate. Jones passed away in 2023, and the reading of the excerpt left Sterling, who portrayed his son on the show, in tears, noting that Jones had a profound understanding of the statement.
Moore, who shared significant scenes with Jones, recalled witnessing the actor's struggle firsthand. She shared, “He was suffering, and it was really hard for him to breathe, and I remember him sitting was scripted, but also because he genuinely needed to do that, it really brought home knowing what was actually happening in real-time in those moments while we were shooting this show and this season.”
Mandy Moore continued to say that the actor had an intrinsic connection to his character, which made the whole scene all the more poignant. This revelation by the actress added a heartbreaking but beautiful connection to the scene for the show's fans.
Ron Cephas Jones's Death
The acclaimed and celebrated actor passed away in 2023 due to complications from Pulmonary issues. His passing came as a shock to the cast, all of whom shared their grief and condolences with the fans.
In a prior podcast episode, Brown talked about how Cephas Jones had "joy in every fiber of his being" and continued to have a "big smile" and "big laugh" despite his health issues.
Cephas Jones, a Tony-nominated stage actor who has acted in shows like Mr. Robot and Luke Cage, as well as films like Dolemite Is My Name, underwent a double lung transplant in 2020 owing to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But, despite a successful surgery, the actor unfortunately passed away at the age of 66 in August 2023.
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