Cherry Jones is an American actress who has received five nominations and twice won the prestigious Tony Theater Award. Over her nearly four-decade career, she managed to get the unofficial title of one of the most prominent American theater actresses of all time.
Biography
Cherry Jones was born on November 21, 1956 in an American city with the French name Paris, Tennessee. Her father was a florist, and her mother was a high school teacher.
Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee Photo: Chiacomo / Wikimedia Commons
Interest in the theater in the girl arose in early childhood. Parents strongly supported her enthusiasm and desire to perform on stage. They arranged for their daughter drama lessons with Ruby Crider. In addition, a significant contribution to the development of acting skills in young Cherry was made by her speech teacher Linda Wilson.
After graduating from high school, she entered the drama school Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. While studying, Cherry Jones performed in City Theater performances, becoming one of the first actors of this theater. In 1978, she graduated from an educational institution and received a BFA diploma in drama.
Theater career and creativity
Cherry Jones is best known for her theater work. In 1980, she co-founded a theater called the American Repertory Theater, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1991, Jones received her first nomination for the prestigious Tony Theater Award for her performance in the production of Our Country's Good.
American Repertory Theater, Cambridge, Mass. Photo: John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons
In 1995, Ruth and Augustus Goetz's play “Heiress” was presented on Broadway, in which the actress appeared in the image of the main character Catherine Slooper - the rustic, shy and gullible daughter of a wealthy doctor.
The production received praise and recognition from critics. In addition, “The Heiress” was awarded several awards, including the American theater awards “Drama Desk” in the nomination “Best Leading Actress in a Performance” and “Tony” for “Best Actress in a Play”, which was presented by Cherry Jones.
In the period from 2005 to 2006, the actress collaborated with the famous American playwright and director John Patriom Shanley. In his production of Doubt, she played sister Aloysia. The play, the plot of which is built on the events taking place in the church school of St. Nicholas, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize - one of the most prestigious American awards in the field of art.
As for Cherry Jones, her work was highly praised by critics. The actress won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the second time.
The building of the Gershwin Theater, 2007 Photo: Andreas Praefcke / Wikimedia Commons
Among Jones' most notable theatrical works, performances of Lady MacDuff directed by Macbeth (1988), Mabel Tidgins Biglow in Pride's Crossing (1997 - 1998), Josie Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten (2000) and Amanda Wingfield in the Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie (2013 - 2017).
In 2014, Cherry Jones was inducted into the Gershwin American Theater Hall of Fame.
Television career
In 1983, Jones first appeared on television. She performed one of the roles in the television movie "O'Malley". A few years later, the actress starred in Robert Markowitz's film "Alex: The Life of a Child" (1986). The plot of the television film was based on the real story of a girl named Alex, who courageously fought with a severe hereditary disease cystic fibrosis.
In 1987, the actress made a cinematic debut in Michael J Fox's drama Daylight. Jones played one of the supporting roles.
Director Michael Jay Fox speaks at the Lotusphere Annual Conference Photo: Paul Hudson (original), Supernino (derivative work) / Wikimedia Commons
In 1992, she received her first prominent television role in the soap opera of ABC's "Loving" channel. The actress played a character named Frankie, appearing in several episodes of this series.
In 2012, she portrayed Dr. Judith Evans in the NBC series Awakening drama. Later, Cherry Jones starred in such films as “Days and Nights” (2013), “I Saw the Light” (2015), “Reporter” (2015), “Party” (2017), “Blown Personality” (2018) and others.
In 2019, the actress appeared in several projects at once, including Chimerica, Wine Country, Rainy Day in New York, Orphan Brooklyn and Friend. In addition, the premiere of the film "Eyes Tammy Fay" (2020) and the series "Defending Jacob", where Cherry Jones will also take part, are planned in the near future.
