Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
,
fantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as
Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
HellboyHellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
,
Pan's LabyrinthPan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
and
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
.
Early life
Jones was from
Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. After attending
Bishop Chatard High SchoolBishop Chatard High School is a Catholic co-educational preparatory high school located in the Broad Ripple district of Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States...
, he attended
Ball State UniversityBall State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, where he parlayed his background as a
mimeThe word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
into portraying the school mascot "Charlie Cardinal", and from which he graduated in 1982.
Career
Jones has worked as a contortionist. "You’d be surprised how many times that comes into play in commercials. They’ll want somebody to hold a box of Tide funny or something. I once squished into a box for a commercial for relaxed fit jeans".
Although known mostly for his work under
prosthetic makeupProsthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
, such as the zombie Billy Butcherson in the Halloween film
Hocus Pocus, or the lead Spy Morlock in the
2002 remakeThe Time Machine is a 2002 American science fiction film loosely adapted from the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, and the 1960 film screenplay by David Duncan...
of the 1960 film
The Time MachineThe Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
, he has also performed without prosthetics in such films as
Adaptation,
Mystery MenMystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
and
Batman ReturnsBatman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
, and indie projects such as Stefan Haves'
Stalled, AntiKaiser Productions'
Three Lives, Phil Donlon's
A Series of Small Things and as Cesare in David Fisher's
2005 remakeThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 2005 independent film, and a remake of the 1920 silent film of the same name. It was directed by David Lee Fisher and released in the U.S...
of the 1920 silent classic
The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene from a screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It is one of the most influential of German Expressionist films and is often considered one of the greatest horror movies of the silent era. This movie is cited as...
. He performed as
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
in
HellboyHellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, although the voice was performed by an uncredited
David Hyde PierceDavid Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
. Explaining the challenge of working so often in rubber suits and prosthetics, he notes, "I have to make that a part of my being and my physicality and again, acting is a full body experience and that's a part of it when you're doing a costumed character."
In 2005, he renewed his association with Mexican director
Guillermo del ToroGuillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, starring as the Faun in del Toro's multi-Oscar-winning Spanish language fantasy/horror project
El Laberinto del FaunoPan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
(
Pan's Labyrinth). He also has a secondary role in the film as 'The Pale Man', a gruesome creature with a penchant for eating children. Working once more under heavy prosthetics in both roles, he was also required to learn large amounts of dialogue in Spanish, though his voice was ultimately re-dubbed.
The year also brought success for
The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 2005 independent film, and a remake of the 1920 silent film of the same name. It was directed by David Lee Fisher and released in the U.S...
, the film receiving three awards at the Screamfest Horror Festival in
Los Angeles, including the Audience Choice Award. In 2006 Jones appeared in the feature films
The BenchwarmersThe Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...
and
Lady in the WaterThe soundtrack was composed by James Newton Howard. The last four tracks are non-soundtrack songs from singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost, Indie rock band A Whisper in the Noise, and rock 'n' roll revivalists Silvertide. Each of the four songs was written by Bob Dylan...
, and reprised his role as Abe Sapien by voicing the character in the new
Hellboy Animated television project, recording two 75-minute animated films.
In February 2007, Jones' likeness was used for
NvidiaNvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
's "Human Head" tech demo.
In June 2007 Jones appeared in
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
as the
Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
(though
Laurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
portrayed the character's voice). He reprised his role as
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
in
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, once more under the direction of
Guillermo del ToroGuillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, for which he played both the voice and body performance. He also played two other roles in the film: the Angel of Death and The Chamberlain, both under heavy prosthetics. In 2009, del Toro announced on BBC Radio that Jones would be playing the monster in his upcoming version of
FrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
.
Jones starred as himself in
Sockbaby 4, the fourth installment of the Internet
martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
comedy series
SockbabySockbaby is a four-part no-budget short film originally for Channel 101, directed by Douglas TenNapel, the man best known for works such as Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood; and John Soares, who is best known for co-founding the independent film group WestHavenBrook.The film lampoons kung-fu movies,...
.
According to Jones' official website, he will appear in the upcoming French-language film
Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque), written and directed by French comic-book author Joann Sfar and produced by Universal Europe. Jones plays La Gueule, the grotesque fantasy muse that teases, guides and accompanies Gainsbourg throughout his life. He is working under prosthetics designed and created by the Oscar-winning Spanish FX shop DDT Efectos Especiales, with whom he worked on
Pan's Labyrinth. The film was released in France on January 20, 2010.
In January 2010 Jones signed a book deal with Medallion Press to model a non-fiction comedic coffee table book called
Mime Very Own Book, co-written by Adam Mock and Scott Allen Perry, and photographed by Eric Curtis. The book is due for publication in December 2011.
Jones plays Dr. Henry Vataber in the web series,
Universal Dead. In late June 2010 it was announced that
Universal Dead will be made into a feature film.
Jones appeared in the independent film,
The Candy Shop, a "modern fairy tale" shedding light upon child sex trafficking created by the Georgia film studio, Whitestone Pictures.
Filmography
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1992 |
Batman Returns Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
|
Thin Clown |
|
| 1993 |
Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
|
Contortionist |
Episode: "Food For Thought" |
| Hocus Pocus |
Billy Butcherson |
|
| 1994 |
The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
|
Slapstick actor |
Episode "Indiana Jones and Hollywood Follies" |
| 1995 |
Tank GirlTank Girl is a 1995 science fiction action film loosely based on the Tank Girl comic book created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett. It was directed by Rachel Talalay and stars Lori Petty as Rebecca Buck, aka the eponymous Tank Girl, who had originally appeared in the UK comic magazine...
|
Additional Ripper |
|
| 1997 |
Mimic Mimic is an American science fiction horror film, with elements of a slasher film, released in 1997. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the script was inspired by a short story of the same name by Donald A. Wollheim. Mimic, whose U.S...
|
Long John #2 |
|
| Warriors of Virtue Warriors Of Virtue is a 1997 Chinese-American fantasy film directed by Ronny Yu. It is in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Although commercially unsuccessful and critically panned, a sequel, Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao, was made in 2002....
|
Yee |
|
| 1998 |
The Outer Limits The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
|
Elder Alien |
Episodes: "Sarcophagus", "To Tell The Truth" and "Relativity Theory" |
| 1999 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Lead Gentleman |
Episode: "Hush" |
| Mystery Men Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
|
Pencilhead |
|
| 2000 |
G vs E G vs. E is an American fantasy-based television action series that had its first season air on USA Network during the summer and autumn of 1999. For the second season the series switched to Sci Fi Channel in early 2000. The series stars Clayton Rohner, Richard Brooks, and Marshall Bell.G vs...
|
Herb |
Episode: "Evilator" |
| 2001 |
MonkeyboneMonkeybone is a 2001 American comedy film that combines live-action with stop-motion animation. It was based on Kaja Blackley's graphic novel Dark Town...
|
Yeti |
|
Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
|
Gordon Page, Jr. |
Episode: "#488" |
| 2002 |
Adaptation. |
Augustus Margary |
|
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
|
Grinder |
Episode: "Revenge is Best Served Cold" |
| Men in Black II Men in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
|
Joey |
|
| Side Effects |
Seth |
short film |
The Time MachineThe Time Machine is a 2002 American science fiction film loosely adapted from the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, and the 1960 film screenplay by David Duncan...
|
Spy Morlock |
|
| 2004 |
Three Lives |
Mysterious Caller / Mortician |
|
HellboyHellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
|
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
|
(voiced by David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
) |
| 2005 |
The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 2005 independent film, and a remake of the 1920 silent film of the same name. It was directed by David Lee Fisher and released in the U.S...
|
Cesare |
|
DoomDoom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
|
Dr. Carmack Imp |
|
| A Series of Small Things |
The Homeless Man |
|
Criminal MindsCriminal 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...
|
Domino Thacker |
Episode: "Blood Hungry" |
| 2006 |
The BenchwarmersThe Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...
|
Number 7 Robot |
|
| Carnies Carnies is a 2007 horror film directed by Brian Corder and starring Doug Jones.-Plot summary:In 1936 the Knuckles Brothers Show, a carnival sideshow, pulls into another in a long series of small towns, only to be plagued by a killer.- Cast:...
|
Ratcatcher |
|
Lady in the WaterThe soundtrack was composed by James Newton Howard. The last four tracks are non-soundtrack songs from singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost, Indie rock band A Whisper in the Noise, and rock 'n' roll revivalists Silvertide. Each of the four songs was written by Bob Dylan...
|
Tartutic #4 |
|
Pan's LabyrinthPan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
|
El Fauno; The Pale Man |
|
| 2007 |
Hellboy: Blood and Iron |
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
|
|
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver SurferFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story...
|
Norrin Radd / The Silver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
|
(voice by Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
) |
| Hellboy: Sword of Storms |
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
|
(voice) |
| The Wager The Wager is a 2007 Christian drama film, directed by Judson Pearce Morgan. It stars Randy Travis, Jude Ciccolella and Candace Cameron Bure. It was based on the novel The Wager by Bill Myers...
|
Peter Barrett |
|
| 2008 |
Criminal MindsCriminal 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...
|
Beanie |
Episode: "Brothers in Arms" |
Fear ItselfFear Itself was a horror/suspense anthology television series shot in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with some additional shooting in the city of St. Albert and the town of Devon, Alberta. It began airing on June 5, 2008 on NBC....
|
Grady Edlund |
Episode: "Skin & Bones" |
| Quarantine |
Thin Infected Man |
|
SockbabySockbaby is a four-part no-budget short film originally for Channel 101, directed by Douglas TenNapel, the man best known for works such as Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood; and John Soares, who is best known for co-founding the independent film group WestHavenBrook.The film lampoons kung-fu movies,...
|
Himself |
|
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army |
Abe SapienAbraham "Abe" Sapien is a fictional character in the comic book series Hellboy, created by Mike Mignola. He takes his name from "Icthyo sapiens," the fanciful species designation chosen for him by his colleagues in the 19th-century Oannes Club, and from Abraham Lincoln, on whose assassination date...
/Angel of Death/The Chamberlain |
|
| 2009 |
Greyscale Greyscale is an upcoming neo-noir thriller film in a modern setting and is written, directed, and produced by Ryan Dunlap, who originally wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Conway Banks." The film stars Dunlap, Marisa Draeger, Tim Russ and Doug Jones...
|
Jamison |
|
| Cyrus |
Dr. Arthur |
|
| My Name is Jerry My Name Is Jerry is an upcoming independent dramatic comedy film released on DVD on October 19, 2010. by Clothespin Films LLC, in association with the Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.It stars Doug Jones as Jerry Arthur: a...
|
Jerry |
|
| Angel of Death Angel of Death is a web series of eight to ten minute episodes created by Ed Brubaker. The series stars Zoë Bell as Eve, an assassin taking revenge on her former employers, and costars Lucy Lawless. Angel of Death was produced by White Rock Lake Production and distributed by Sony Pictures Television...
|
Dr. Rankin |
|
| Super Capers Super Capers is a 2009 action comedy film and a parody of superhero movies, written and directed by Ray Griggs who also starred as one of the misfit superheros.-Premise:...
|
Special Agent Smith #1 |
|
| Battle Jitni Episode 1: The Danger Element |
Dr. Elymas |
|
| The Butterfly Circus |
Otto |
|
| 2010 |
Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) |
La Gueule |
|
| Legion |
Ice Cream Man |
|
| Nick Swardson's Pretend Time Nick Swardson's Pretend Time is a TV sketch comedy show created by and starring comedian and actor Nick Swardson. The show premiered on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST on Comedy Central....
|
Gay Robot |
|
| The Candy Shop |
Candy Shop Owner |
|
| 2011 |
Fallout: Nuka Break |
Mayor Conners |
Episode: #2, #3, #5 |
| Absentia Absentia is an award-winning 2011 horror film written and directed by Mike Flanagan. It follows two sisters who begin to link a series of mysterious disappearances to an ominous tunnel near their house.-Plot:...
|
Walter Lambert |
|
| 2012 |
Neighborhood Watch Neighborhood Watch is an upcoming science fiction comedy film directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Nicholas Braun. The film follows a suburban neighborhood watch group which is...
|
|
Filming |
External links