L.Q. Jones, a veteran character actor who appeared in Casino and other films, has died at 94. The actor maintained a career in film and television for over seven decades, later dabbling in work behind-the-scenes later in his career. Jones’ grandson, Erté deGarces, confirmed the actor’s passing and noted he passed surrounded by family at his home in the Hollywood Hills.
Born Justice Ellis McQueen in August 1927 in Beaumont, Texas, he changed to his stage name with his first film role in 1955, Battle Cry by Raoul Walsh. His final screen appearance came in 2006 with A Prarie Home Companion, which also turned out to be director Robert Altman’s final film.
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Jones worked with many of the biggest names in film during his career, appearing in Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch, Major Dundee, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and Ride the High Country. He would also later work with Martin Scorsese in a small but pivotal role in Casino, opposite Robert DeNiro.
He also made his presence known on television, making a big impact with westerns like Gunsmoke, The Virginian, Rawhide, The Rifleman, and The Big Valley. He even tried his hand at directing and producing, stepping behind the camera for an episode of The Incredible Hulk and, most interestingly, directing A Boy and His Dog in 1975. The film is an adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s classic post-apocalyptic tale following a teenager and his psychic dog as they work to survive the wasteland.
While it wasn’t commercially successful in its time, the film has since become a cult classic and has influenced post-apocalyptic fiction across the board. It even pleased Ellison upon its release, which Jones confirms in the DVD commentary, though noted the prickly sci-fi icon was unhappy with the change to the end of the story. Still, they were discussing a potential sequel at one point that was later published in a limited edition hardcover with the original story and two short stories from the 70s and 80s.
It’s just an interesting tidbit in the life of a guy whom many would typecast as a western star and celluloid cowboy. And none of this even covers how he lived the equivalent of many people’s lives before he even step foot in Hollywood, performing as a stand-up, playing baseball and football professionally, and finally trying to be a rancher in Nicaragua. Rest in peace.
