2 months ago
Jessie Jones, a seasoned TV characteristic character who guested connected specified celebrated bid arsenic Murphy Brown, Newhart and Night Court and besides was a prolific drama playwright, has died. She was 75.
Her penning partner Jamie Wooten told Deadline that Jones died March 20 successful Washington, D.C., aft a agelong illness.
Born connected August 21, 1950, successful nan Texas Panhandle, Jones won a precocious schoolhouse essay/speech title earlier graduating from nan University of Texas astatine Austin. She sewage her surface commencement successful nan precocious 1980s pinch impermanent roles connected TV’s Newhart and Hooperman and continued to activity regularly during nan ’90s. Her credits see a number of nan era’s apical bid including connected Night Court, Designing Women, Perfect Strangers, Grace Under Fire, Melrose Place, Judging Amy, Cold Case, Who’s nan Boss? and others.
She had a little but memorable domiciled successful nan first Season 3 section of Murphy Brown as Mrs. Betty Hooley, a female picked “at random, correct retired of nan telephone book” to beryllium interviewed on-air by FYI host Murphy (Candice Bergen) astir nan challenges facing an Americans family successful nan 1990s. But nan stunt goes southbound arsenic Wooley turns retired to beryllium an unabashed bigot who embarrasses nan show and gets scolded by nan host.
Jones had a series-regular domiciled connected The WB interfaith-romance sitcom You’re nan One, playing nan mother of co-lead Cynthia Geary. But nan bid astir a Southern female and New York man didn’t click and aired only 2 episodes successful April 1998. Jones besides appeared successful aggregate 1995 episodes of nan Saturday greeting ABC drama Fudge during its two-year run.
Along pinch spot roles successful a fistful of features, Jones besides appeared successful respective TV movies including The Positively True Adventures of nan Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, Caught successful nan Act, My Brother’s Keeper and The Rescue of Baby Jessica starring Patty Duke and Beau Bridges.
By nan mid-2000s, Jones had pivoted to a prolific 2nd profession penning plays. Among her best-known useful is nan Southern-funeral drama Dearly Departed, which premiered Off Broadway and was produced connected aggregate U.S. location and organization stages. The show was nan root for Kingdom Come, a movie adjustment from Fox Searchlight that featured an ensemble formed led by LL Cool J, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Anthony Anderson, Toni Braxton and Whoopi Goldberg.
Along pinch her partners Wooten and Nicholas Hope, Jones besides co-wrote much than 2 twelve different plays, specializing successful Southern-flavored comedies. All published by Concord Theatricals, their Jones Hope Wooten useful see specified titles arsenic The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, The Red Velvet Cake War, Christmas Belles and The Savannah Sipping Society. The trio’s useful person been performed successful each U.S. authorities and much than 25 different countries. Wooten said Jones was nan most-produced female American playwright.
Jones is survived by sisters Ellen and Laura, brother-in-law Jim McCarthy, niece Margaret McCarthy and nephews Tommy McCarthy, Todd Hyso and Paul Hyso, on pinch grand-nieces and cousins. The family asked that donations successful her representation beryllium made to Planned Parenthood.
