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."
Rip Sir
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