Jeffrey Jones Net Worth

Earnestine Abbott 11 Jun 2025

What is Jeffrey Jones's Net Worth?

Jeffrey Jones is an American actor who has a net worth of $2 million. Jeffrey Jones began his career in theater, performing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and later in London and on Broadway in productions such as "Cloud 9," "The Elephant Man," and "Trelawny of the Wells."

Jones rose to prominence in film during the 1980s. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Emperor Joseph II in "Amadeus" and became widely recognized for his comedic work in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," where he played the scheming Principal Ed Rooney. He also appeared as Charles Deetz in Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" and held supporting roles in films like "The Hunt for Red October," "Howard the Duck," and "The Devil's Advocate."

In the 2000s, Jones was part of the acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood," portraying newspaper editor A. W. Merrick, a role he reprised in the 2019 film continuation. However, his career was severely affected by a 2002 conviction for soliciting a minor for explicit photographs. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. Subsequent legal issues related to registry violations further limited his career.

Early Life and Education

Jeffrey Jones was born on September 28, 1946, in Buffalo, New York to Ruth and Douglas. When he was a baby, his father passed away. Jones was educated at the Putney School in Vermont, graduating in 1964. He then attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin as a premed student. There, Jones performed in school theater productions. He eventually caught the attention of director Tyrone Guthrie, who recruited him to perform at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After that, in 1969, Jones went to the United Kingdom to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Career Beginnings on Stage

Jones began his acting career on stage, first in Minneapolis before performing internationally. He appeared in over 125 productions, with notable titles including off-Broadway productions of "Cloud 9" and "Henry V" and Broadway productions of "Trelawny of the Wells" and "The Elephant Man."

Film Career

Making the transition from stage to screen, Jones appeared in his first film, "The Revolutionary," in 1970. Later in the decade, he had an uncredited part in "A Wedding." Jones's roles got bigger after that. In 1982, he played the US Assistant Secretary of Defense in "The Soldier," and in 1983 was Clive Barlow in "Easy Money." One of his most acclaimed roles came in 1984, when he portrayed Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman's period biopic "Amadeus," adapted from the eponymous play. For his performance, Jones earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He next appeared in the horror comedy "Transylvania 6-5000." Jones had another of his most memorable roles in 1986, playing blustery high school dean Ed Rooney in John Hughes's teen comedy "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The same year, he played Dr. Walter Jenning in the superhero comedy "Howard the Duck." Jones subsequently appeared in the Vietnam War film "The Hanoi Hilton."

In 1988, Jones appeared alongside Catherine O'Hara as one half of a boorish married couple in Tim Burton's fantasy horror comedy "Beetlejuice." He also played Detective Inspector G. Lestrade in the British comedy "Without a Clue." Jones went on to have notable roles in such films as "Who's Harry Crumb?," "Valmont," "The Hunt for Red October," "Out on a Limb," and "Stay Tuned." In 1994, he reunited with Burton to play the Amazing Criswell in the biopic "Ed Wood." Jones reunited with Burton again at the end of the decade to play Reverend Steenwyck in the gothic supernatural horror film "Sleepy Hollow." Among his many other credits are "The Devil's Advocate," "Stuart Little," "Ravenous," and "10.0 Earthquake."

(Photo by Nick Ut-Pool/Getty Images)

Television Career

Jones first appeared on television in 1976 in the PBS miniseries "The Adams Chronicles." Also that year, he was in an episode of the short-lived CBS Western series "Sara." Jones's television career, like his film career, picked up significantly in the 80s. That decade, he appeared in episodes of "Remington Steele," "The Twilight Zone," and "Amazing Stories," as well as episodes of the miniseries "If Tomorrow Comes" and "Fresno." He also portrayed Thomas Jefferson in the television film "George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation." At the end of the decade, Jones starred as cartoonist Walter Kellogg in the short-lived CBS sitcom "The People Next Door."

In the 90s, Jones did mostly voice acting on television. He voiced characters in episodes of the animated series "Duckman," "Eek! Stravaganza," "Batman: The Animated Series," and "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters." In live-action roles, he appeared in the television film "The Avenging Angel." Jones began the 21^st century with another television film, "Till Dad Do Us Part"; he also lent his voice to the animated series "Invader Zim," "The Zeta Project," and "Justice League." From 2004 to 2006, Jones had his biggest television role, portraying newspaper publisher A.W. Merrick on the HBO Western series "Deadwood." He later reprised the role in the 2019 television film "Deadwood: The Movie."

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Sex Offender

In 2002, Jones was arrested for possessing child pornography and for having earlier solicited a 14-year-old boy to pose for nude photos. He pled no contest to the solicitation charge, and the child pornography possession charge was dropped. Jones was given five years of probation and was required to attend counseling and register as a sex offender. A witness related to this case subsequently claimed to have seen inappropriate material at the home of Paul Reubens, AKA Pee Wee Herman. No illegal content was discovered at Reubens' home, but an aggressive Los Angeles District Attorney spent a year investigating anyway and ultimately was able to pressure the comedian into accepting a lesser charge and pay a $100 fine.

He was arrested in 2004 for failing to register as a sex offender after moving to Sarasota, Florida. He had moved apartments and did not register within the required 48-hour period. He was arrested again in LA in 2010 on similar charges and sentenced to 250 hours of community service and three years of probation.

Personal Life

From a relationship with the late Canadian voice coach Lloy Coutts, Jones has a son named Julian. He is also an actor.

Real Estate

In 1999, Jeffrey paid $569,000 for a home in the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles. In November 2022, he sold the home to actress/dancer/singer Maddie Ziegler for $2.555 million. In 1995, Jeffrey bought a home in Rancho Mirage, California, for $200,000. He appears to still own this home today, and it may be his primary residence.