I had the privilege of going to the Pop Culture Association 2019 Conference in DC a couple weeks ago. I delivered a paper I wrote about The Haunting of Hill House (which let’s be honest, ended up being primarily about Theo because I’m obsessed with her) and how it is a wonderful example of feminism in horror. One of the biggest speakers they had was Doug Jones.
Do you know who Doug Jones is?
Can’t place him?
I promise you have seen him in at least 2,000 movies/TV shows. They like to refer to him as “the most famous actor you’ve never seen”. He is an actor who specializes in characters, and I’m going to include photos of some of his most famous roles below.
The first time I fully realized just how big of a Doug Jones fan I am was when he was interviewed on the Buffering the Vampire Slayer podcast. They started going through some of his biggest roles, and I was floored. Not only did he play one of the main two Gentlemen on the episode Hush of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but he has been in myriad Guillermo Del Toro movies and is now one of the main characters on Star Trek Discovery.
I was able to meet Mr. Jones, and he was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He seemed genuinely happy to be at the conference and to meet and talk to his fans. When I told him I had promised my mom I would tell him the Gentlemen are still the scariest thing she’s ever seen he seemed so sincerely touched, and he was so willing to take a photo with me. As someone hopeful of being in the horror industry, meeting someone like Mr. Jones who was so genuine and kind and down to earth gave me a lot of hope for the entertainment realm.
It is also a perfect time step back and realize that there are so many unsung and underappreciated actors and performers who are part of some of the most incredible horror/fantasy/sci-fi projects that we never take the time to fully appreciate because they are behind masks or makeup or CGI.
The slideshow below is nowhere near comprehensive of Mr. Jones’ work, but it will give you an idea of how many movies you have seen him in without ever realizing he was the same person. I’m also very aware that this post is just a moment for me to totally fan girl over meeting one of THE GENTLEMEN…but let me live a little bit.
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