Wednesday, 10 July 2019

Freddie Jones: Veteran Firefox actor dies aged 91

Tributes have been paid to the British actor Freddie Jones who has died at the age of 91. His agent Lesley Duff said he died on 9 July after a short illness. She remembered Jones - the father of fellow actor Toby - as "a much loved and admired actor, known for his triumphs in theatre, film and TV." His many feature films include the David Lynch films Dune, Wild at Heart and The Elephant Man. In the latter he played Bytes, the circus ringmaster who cruelly exploits the physically deformed John Merrick. He also appeared in such horror films as Frankenstein Must be Destroyed and The Satanic Rites of Dracula as well as 1983 sci-fi Krull. Jones is fondly remembered for playing Kenneth Aubrey opposite Clint in his 1982 American action techno-thriller Firefox.
Jones started out as a laboratory assistant before turning his love of amateur theatre into a professional career. After working in repertory theatre and television, he made his film debut in Peter Brook's Marat/Sade in 1967. Jones was married for more than 50 years to actress Jennie Heslewood, with whom he had three sons.

In 2009 Freddie and Toby Jones appeared together on The Film Programme to discuss the art of being a character actor. Speaking to broadcaster Matthew Sweet, Jones senior said the secret of making an impression was "not leaving it on the page, but lifting it up and flying it a bit". 

He also revealed he had initially turned down The Elephant Man because he found it "over-larded with mawkish sentimentality". "It didn't need it," he said of the film's script, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar and a Bafta. "The man [John Merrick] was a living tragedy."


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