US actor Ron Cephas Jones has died aged 66, his manager has confirmed.
The veteran stage and screen actor, who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father William "Shakespeare" Hill in TV series This Is Us, died "due to a long-standing pulmonary issue".
A statement from his manager Dan Spilo to US outlets 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."
In 2020, Jones had a double lung transplant because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and spent nearly two months in a hospital in Los Angeles.
Jones spent the majority of his career in the theatre before and after This Is Us, returning to Broadway even after his transplant.
He also had guest roles on TV including Mr Robot, Marvel's Luke Cage and Lisey's Story, while his film appearances included 2006's Half Nelson with Ryan Gosling and Dolemite Is My Name in 2019 with Eddie Murphy.
Since 2019, he starred alongside Octavia Spencer in Apple TV's thriller series, Truth Be Told.
Actor Sterling K Brown, who played his Jones' son on This is Us, paid tribute to the late actor on Instagram, writing: "Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us.
"@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."
His fellow This is Us star Mandy Moore said getting to know and work with Jones was the "greatest gift".
On Instagram, she posted a photo of herself and Jones taken from the show, captioning it: "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."
She continued, "I’ll never forget how special it was to film this particular episode and welcome him back to say a proper goodbye to our TIU family and the whole experience.
"I am just so sad."
Academy Award-winning actor Octavia Spencer, who starred opposite Jones on Truth Be Told for three seasons, said she was "heartbroken" following the news.
On Instagram, she said: "Ron was an incredibly talented actor and, most importantly, a wonderfully kind human being. Every day on set with Ron was a good day."
She later added, "This one is hitting very hard. I learned so much from Ron in every single scene we had together.
"Whenever I saw his name on the call sheet I would get excited because I knew I'd be getting a year’s worth of technique in that eight hour day.
"For those pursuing acting as a living, let Emmy Award Winner, Ron Cephas Jones, be the type of perfection you strive to achieve," she finished.
Jones is survived by his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Source: Press Association
