Orlando Jones

actor; television writer; television producer

Personal Information

Born on April 10, 1968, in Mobile, Alabama.
Education: College of Charleston, 1990.

Career

Homeboy's Productions and Advertising, founder; doorman; appeared in industrial films as teenager; A Different World, writer, 1987-88, appeared in two episodes; Roc Live, executive story editor, 1993; The Sinbad Show, producer, 1993; Sound fX, host, 1994; Mad TV, actor and segment writer, 1995-97; appeared as an actor: Herman's Head, Fox, 1991; King of the Hill, Fox, 1997; In Harm's Way, 1997; Sour Grapes, 1998; Woo, 1998; Office Space, 1999; Liberty Heights, 1999; Magnolia, 1999; Waterproof, 1999; New Jersey Turnpikes, 1999; From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, 2000; The Replacements, 2000; Bedazzled, 2000; Double Take, 2001; Say It Isn't So, 2001; Evolution, 2001; Tortoise Vs. Hare, 2002; Chain of Fools, 2002; 7Up, spokesperson, 1999-02.

Life's Work

When Orlando Jones first came to Los Angeles, he joined the many unemployed actors who were following a lifelong dream. But, unlike them, he was given the chance to become a scriptwriter. Not only did he begin writing for some of the top television sitcoms, he rose through the ranks and became a producer. But Jones finally realized his dream of acting and has now become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

Orlando Jones was born on April 10, 1968, in Mobile, Alabama. His father, who had worked in the Philadelphia Phillies baseball organization named him after Orlando Cepada, his favorite player. He was raised in South Carolina. As a teenager, he played football (which would later help him in his role in The Replacements) and acted in a variety of industrial films. Jones began to take his dream of being an actor seriously after participating in a play while attending the College of Charleston. He also formed the Homeboy's Productions and Advertising Company. To make money, he worked as a doorman for a major Charleston hotel. This hotel was the only place in the city that carried the trade papers, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. "I didn't know nobody who knew anybody who heard of anybody who was in Hollywood," he told the Houston Chronicle. Jones would send out his resume using a fake name (as his agent) and the hotel's address and phone number to the names he found in the papers. He was rejected over and over, but this did not discourage him.

Someone from Hollywood saw Jones's performance and signed him up. His big break was a writing job for the popular sitcom, A Different World. "I literally got lucky. I wrote away, I'd done some stuff and I was given a job," he told the Mirror. He was also a writer for the pilot episode of Martin. From there, Jones became the executive story editor for Roc Live. He was the producer for The Sinbad Show before an opportunity to finally become an actor knocked on his door.

After being a writer and producer, Jones auditioned and won a spot on the sketch comedy, Mad TV. He was one of the original cast member of the late night comedy, where he showcased both his writing and acting talent. He appeared in many zany skits for the first two seasons. "It was a great learning process," he told the Tampa Tribune.

After Mad TV, Jones began picking up roles on both film and television. He appeared on television shows, including Herman's Head and did a voiceover for the animated series, King of the Hill. Jones also hosted the show, Sound fX. Among his many films--including Sour Grapes, Office Space and New Jersey Turnpikes--the film, Liberty Heights, which was also his first dramatic role, was his favorite. He considered his part in Liberty Heights "his most significant role because it showed he could act, not just act funny," according to the Houston Chronicle.

Jones became a well-known celebrity after he was approached to become the face of 7Up soda. He turned down the role, but changed his mind after he was given creative input. "That came out of nowhere. For an African-American male non-athlete to be a spokesperson for a soft-drink company is a major coup," he told the Lexington Herald-Leader. He made 15 commercials with the slogan "Make 7... (pause) Up Yours" and "Show Me Your Can" that made the campaign popular and successful. "Yes, they increased their sales significantly....They were funny, and they didn't feature athletes or big celebrities," Jones explained to the Tampa Tribune. He received a special acting award from the International Food and Beverage Creative Excellence Awards in 2001. His contract with the soft drink company expired in 2002.

After the success of the 7Up commercials, Jones began to star opposite some of Hollywood's famous actors. He appeared in The Replacements with Keanu Reeves, Bedazzled with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser, and Say It Isn't So with Sally Field and Heather Graham. He was also given top billing alongside comedian Eddie Griffin in Double Take. All were marginal hits, but that would soon change. Jones took on the role of Dr. Harry Block in the film Evolution, co-starring David Duchovny and Julianne Moore. It opened to mixed reviews, but debuted at number two. It remained in the top ten for three weeks. Jones also became good friends with Duchovny during filming.

Next up for Jones was voice work for The Tortoise Vs. The Hare. Another film, Chain of Fools, with Salma Hayek, was scheduled for release in 2002. He has also sold three scripts: The Reverend Pimp Daddy, Sticky Fingers, and Redneck. Each script promises to bring the audience to tears from laughing. Orlando Jones may have become a star in an unconventional way, but he has proven that talent and adaptability are indeed a welcome commodity in Hollywood.

Awards

International Food and Beverage Creative Excellence Awards, special acting award, 2001.

Works

Selected filmography

• (television, as a writer)
• A Different World, 1987-88.
• Roc Live, 1991.
• Martin, (pilot episode).
• Mad TV, 1995-96.
• (as a producer)
• The Sinbad Show, 1993.
• (as an actor)
• A Different World, 1987.
• Herman's Head, 1991.
• Mad TV, 1995-96.
• King of the Hill, 1997.
• (as a host)
• Sound fX, 1994.
• (as spokesperson)
• 7Up, 1999-2002.
• (film roles)
• Sour Grapes, 1998.
• Office Space, 1999.
• New Jersey Turnpikes, 1999.
• The Replacements, 2000.
• Bedazzled, 2000.
• Say It Isn't So, 2001.
• Double Take, 2001.
• Evolution, 2001.
• Tortoise Vs. Hare, 2002.
• Chain of Fools, 2002.

Further Reading

Books

• Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, vol. 28, Gale Group, 2000.

Periodicals

• Adweek Eastern Edition, May 14, 2001.
• Arizona Republic, June 8, 2001.
• Dallas Morning News, September 16, 1999.
• The Guardian, (London, England) June 23, 2001.
• The Houston Chronicle, June 7, 2001.
• The Lexington Herald-Leader, (Kentucky) August 15, 2000.
• Los Angeles Times, August 11, 2000.
• The Mirror, June 29, 2001.
• San Francisco Chronicle, August 16, 2001.
• The State, (Columbia, South Carolina) January 26, 2001.
• The Tampa Tribune, June 8, 2001.

Online

• All Movie Guide, http://allmovie.com.
• Calendar Live, http://www.calendarlive.com.
• Internet Movie Database, http://us.imdb.com.
• The Numbers, http://www.the-numbers.com.

— Ashyia N. Henderson

• Born: Apr 10, 1968 in Mobile, Alabama
• Occupation: Actor, Writer
• Active: '90s-2000s
• Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
• Career Highlights: Liberty Heights, Bedazzled, Bedazzled
• First Major Screen Credit: A Different World: Never Can Say Goodbye (1991)

Biography

A comic actor who began his Hollywood career working behind the scenes, Orlando Jones is more than just the popular pitch man exhorting the 2000-2001 TV audience to "Make 7-Up Yours."

Raised in South Carolina, Jones discovered acting when he was cast in a school play while attending the College of Charleston. Aiming to make it in show business one way or another, Jones also formed Homeboy's Productions and Advertising while in college. Jones got his break, however, when a Hollywood visitor in Charleston saw him perform and signed him up, leading to a writing job on the Cosby Show spin-off A Different World. Jones then wrote for the sitcom Roc in 1991 and became a producer on The Sinbad Show in 1993.

Jones finally got to act as well as write when he was cast in Fox's sketch comedy show Mad TV in 1995. After two seasons, Jones left the series and moved to films with a small part in Seinfeld co-creator Larry David's first feature Sour Grapes (1998). Jones managed to work consistently in movies from then on, with bit parts in Mike Judge's comedy Office Space (1999) and Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999), as well as a starring role in Barry Levinson's praised but little-seen nostalgia piece Liberty Heights (1999). In 2000, Jones made his mark in TV advertising as the humorously incompetent advocate for 7-Up, enhancing his potential as a comic draw. Jones' lead role as one of the hapless scabs in The Replacements (2000) and a multi-character turn in Harold Ramis' version of Bedazzled (2000) further revealed his goofy versatility. After his action-comedy vehicle Double Take was a January 2001 washout, Jones was poised to team with Ivan Reitman for the latter's summer 2001 sci-fi comedy Evolution.

Despite Reitman’s prior track record with summer comedy blockbusters and a cast that included The X Files’ David Duchovny, Evolution bombed. Still, Jones retired as 7-Up’s pitch man in early 2002, shortly before the delayed release of Simon Wells’s glossy remake of The Time Machine (2002). Featuring Jones in a more low-key role as the 21st century cyborg who helps time-traveling scientist Guy Pearce, The Time Machine opened well despite a September 11-delayed release date, but it quickly tapered off in the wake of poor reviews. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Biker Boyz Buy this Movie	Runaway Jury Buy this Movie	The Time Machine Buy this Movie	Drumline Buy this Movie
Double Take Buy this Movie	Say It Isn't So Buy this Movie	Evolution Buy this Movie	Bedazzled Buy this Movie

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