Jasmine Cephas Jones has shared a loving tribute for her late dad, This is Us star, Ron Cephas Jones.
The Blindspotting actor took to Instagram to share a series of photos from her childhood laughing and hugging her father, as well as some more recent videos of them singing together.
“Grief,” she captioned the post. “This one is a battle. I keep looking at my phone wanting to call you and wanting to hear your voice. You listened… you REALLY listened to me.”
She continued, “You valued my opinion and you never judged me. We all know you were a great actor but my god, you were a damn good father.”
Photo via @jazzy_joness/Instagram
“Your best gift to me as a father was giving me a safe space to just be me. Not afraid of my womanhood and all the pain and awkwardness and social anxiety and tough burdens that society can put on us. You understood that. You led me. Mentored me. Gut laughed with me. Cried with me. Sang with me. Celebrated me. Studied with me. Cared for me… and loved me.”
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Ron, who gave an unforgettable performance as Randall’s biological father in the hit series This Is Us, passed away on August 19, aged 66 from a “long-standing pulmonary issue”. In a statement to People, his reps said:
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him.”
Ron’s This is Us co-stars certainly felt his warmth and kindness. After news of his death was made public, many took to social media to share their love for the actor.
“Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” actor Sterling K. Brown posted. “@cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and I’ll see you when I get there.”
Series lead Mandy Moore said knowing and working with Ron was “the greatest gift”:
“He was pure magic as a human and an artist… I will treasure all of the moments forever. Even though he wasn’t around set as much as we all wished, he was such an intrinsic part of the fabric of the show, it’s like he was always there.”
And fellow co-star Chrissy Metz shared two photos of Ron, one with him smiling while sitting at a piano, and the other of the entire This is Us cast at a red carpet event. She said he brightened every room he walked into:
“I’ll never forget and have been changed by your kind heart, amazing spirit, immeasurable talent and beautiful smile.”
(Feature Image Credit: Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for STARZ)
