A gold medalist at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Griffith Jones was still an RADA undergrad when he made his professional bow in 1930. Jones went on to play leading roles in everything from Shakespeare to Grand Guignol; he spent several seasons in the late 1950s touring as Archie Rice in John Osborne's The Entertainer. In films sporadically from 1932 to 1968, Jones was always welcome on-screen, but seldom given the sort of roles worthy of his talents. At age 65, Jones launched a seven-year tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He had a field day in the RSC's marathon staging of Nicholas Nickleby, expertly essaying no fewer than seven roles within a space of eight hours. Griffith Jones is the father of actors Gemma and Nicholas Jones.
by Hal Erickson
biography
