Mickey Jones, 'Justified' And 'Home Improvement' Actor,' Is Dead At 76
The world wakes up to a gloomy Wednesday morning after hearing the news that Justified and Home Improvement actor Mickey Jones has passed away.
Jones's representative confirmed the sad news and cited that it was because of the "effects of a long illness," though his illness was not specified. He was 76.
Jones had lived a colorful life and expanded his career to other line. The Houston, Texas-born actor was also a drummer. He had played for American singer Trini Lopez, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Rivers. He performed with The First Edition, whose vocalist was Kenny Rogers.
He joined tours as well. Jones went to Vietnam with Rivers's band. In 1966, however, a crowd jeered during the European leg of Dylan's tour.
His being a drummer in Dylan's band was cut short following the lead singer's accident in 1967. Things took a turnaround around the '70s as well, just as The First Edition disbanded.
As much as he was already an actor, Jones's passion for music was still evident. He became involved in TV show's soundtracks. These shows were V and Get a Life.
Jones veered and tried his luck in acting, in which he was deemed successful. He started with the comedy show Rollin' On the River in 1971. This was followed by multiple appearances and guest stints in the next years.
Jones had appeared in famous TV shows, including Baywatch, Entourage, Workaholics, Married with Children, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He was best known for his role in Justified, where he played Rodney Dunham, recurring for two consecutive seasons.
In ABC's Home Improvement, Jones was Pete Bilker, the friend of lead Tim Allen's character. Jones's latest projects were ABC's Growing Up Fisher, where he played Ronnie in an episode, and in Newsreaders, where he was Kelson Habson.
He had also shared the screen with some of the prominent actors. In 1990, he joined the cast of sci-fi film Total Recall, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger opposite Sharon Stone.
Jones's was also cast in movies such as Tin Cup, Vice, Penny Dreadful, Shattered Lies, Sling Blade, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Vacation.
In 2007, Jones's autobiography, That Would Be Me: Rock & Roll Survivor to Hollywood Actor, came out. It was named as such because of his catchphrase in Home Improvement.
"There's no pretense to him and none in his acting, but he can do it all. He can do anything, from a kid's enthusiasm to something real mean," Billy Bob Thornton, who played Karl Childers in Sling Blade, said of Jones in an interview years ago.
