Dean Jones (actor)
| Dean Jones | |
|---|---|
Dean Jones in 1966
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| Born |
Dean Carroll Jones January 25, 1931 Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2015 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Parkinson's disease |
| Occupation | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1956–2009 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Andrew Guy and Nolia Elizabeth Wilhite Jones |
Dean Carroll Jones (January 25, 1931 – September 1, 2015) was an American actor best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney films between 1965 and 1977, such as The Love Bug (1968). Jones also originated the role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's Company.
Jones was born in Decatur, near the larger neighboring city of Huntsville, Alabama, to Andrew Guy Jones (1901-1979), a traveling construction worker, and the former Nolia Elizabeth Wilhite (1902-1977). His parents are interred at Roselawn Gardens Of Memory in Decatur.
As a student at Riverside High School in Decatur, Jones had his own local radio show, Dean Jones Sings. Jones served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, and after his discharge worked at the Bird Cage Theater at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.
Jones attended Asbury University in Wilmore near Lexington, Kentucky. A member of its Class of 1953, he did not graduate, but the university in 2002 awarded him an honorary degree. On March 4, 2011, he later addressed the ceremony for the dedication of Asbury's Andrew S. Miller Center for Communications Arts.
After appearing in minor film and television roles, Jones made his Broadway debut (along with Jane Fonda) in the 1960 play There Was a Little Girl. He stepped into the role in Boston, Massachusetts, at only one day's notice. In 1960 he also played Dave Manning in the Broadway comedy Under the Yum-Yum Tree, a role which he repeated in the 1963 movie version starring Jack Lemmon.
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