ACTOR Ron Cephas Jones has died at age 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.
The thespian was best known for his role as William Hill on This Is Us, a family drama that ran on NBC from 2016 until last year.
He won two Emmys for his work on the program in 2018 and 2020, People reported.
"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," said a statement from Jones' representative provided to the outlet.
"He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway."
The New Jersey native is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones, 34, who followed her father into the film industry.
She also won an Emmy in 2020, which made them the first father-daughter pair to receive awards in the same year.
Cephas Jones had a long-term relationship with his daughter's mother, the British singer Kim Lesley, but the couple never got married.
Memorials for the star poured in on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
One user said Cephas Jones had a "prolific career" that peaked with This Is Us, where he played the biological father of protagonist Randall Pearson.
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"The episode dedicated to his character’s passing is a masterpiece, and a perfect, fitting microcosm of his gifts as a performer," the social media user said.
"May he rest in peace."
Another fan said the actor "touched our hearts deeply as viewers."
In 2021, Cephas Jones told The New York Times he had privately fought chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and received a double lung transplant the year prior.
He also told Entertainment Weekly about an on-set health scare he had he had while filming the final episode of This Is Us.
"You cats held me when I was struggling and you didn't let me go. You've been there for a very difficult part of my life. I'm a walking miracle," Cephas Jones said.
"My whole life has been the stage," the actor said.
"The idea of not performing again seemed worse to me than death."
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