The late, great Bernie Mac would say that you know Richard T. Jones, but you don’t really know him.
It’s not because he lacks experience, for he has appeared in a long list of TV shows and movies over the last three decades.
Most might recognize him as court officer Bruce Van Exel from “Judging Amy” or as officer Clement from the show “Brooklyn South.”
But I can promise you that everyone knows him as the brash Laveinio “Slim” Hightower from the 1999 classic film, “The Wood.”
I can see the recognition in your eyes now. You’re laughing as you remember the mishaps of Slim, Mike and Roland as they tried to get the latter to his wedding on time and in one piece.
Richard T. Jones is one of the Black actors who rode the wave of success ridden by Black talent during the 90s, only his story is one many don’t know.
Fortunately, I had the chance to sit and speak with him about his career and the unorthodox way he stumbled upon the path to success in the entertainment industry.
Act or Fail
Richard’s acting career didn’t begin because he sought it out. Instead, it arrived through a moment of choice.
His entry into acting began when he traveled from California to attend Tuskegee University in Alabama, where the shock of being surrounded by Black culture immediately enveloped him. He got caught up in the party scene and lost sight of the academic part of the college experience.
“I was a good student. Then I got to Tuskegee from California and lost my mind,” he said laughing.
But then academic reality set in. That’s when he decided he wanted to become a lawyer and took a class that changed his life.
It wasn’t a legal class or even political science. No. Instead, he enrolled in a monolog class.
“This is great,” Richard told me he remembered thinking. “I wanted to be a litigator so this class will help me with my opening and closing statements.’
He was obviously influenced by shows such as “Law & Order”, where the law was represented with adoration and dynamic oratory performances.
“The only thing I knew about the law was through movies, so who would have thought…”
The class, which focused on reading, reciting and discussing plays, ended up being the catalyst for change in Richard’s life.
His professor recognized something special in him and asked him to audition for a play they were working on. While flattered, he declined for he was only taking the class to become a powerful attorney. He didn’t need acting for that.
Well, karma has a way of rearing its head at the most inopportune moment. In this case, it became a moment of opportunity after his professor gave him a choice.
Audition or receive the not-so-great grade he was earning at the time.
So he showed up for the audition and got the part in the school’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
“That was the beginning of my acting career,” he said.
The rehearsals were time consuming, which eliminated partying. But that turned out to be a blessing for it kept him focused.
The night of the play, he recalled blacking out and not remembering much about his performance. But the crowd loved him, so he obviously delivered a rousing performance.
Yet the one thing he does remember while on stage was receiving his calling.
“I saw a vision of my life,” he told me. “I saw myself doing this. I said ‘Oh, I don’t want to be a lawyer, I want to play a lawyer.'”
That was when he knew.
“I’m going to do this for the rest of my life.”
To Be Or Not To Be
After deciding on his career, Richard channeled his energy into fervently pursuing it.
He left Tuskegee and enrolled in the Academy of Dramatic Arts in LA. It was a commitment that kept him on campus all day and commuting back and forth to Inglewood every day.
It was a tiring and limiting experience as the young actor wasn’t allowed to perform professionally while enrolled at the Academy.
Richard wasn’t one for limitation, so he left the Academy and began performing in local plays and showcases around Hollywood. He eventually made the right connections, secured the right representation and officially began his professional acting career.
And like his roles, his journey refrained from being stereotypical as well.
“I have been blessed. I never had to do many of the jobs [waiting tables] that many of us had to do,” he said.
In 1993, he secured his first film role as Ike Turner Jr. in “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. He was supposed to play a minor character, but when the director saw him, he made him read for the character that he eventually played.
That performance helped him secure his next role as Pvt. Jackson Leroy in “Renaissance Man,” a movie that he thought would jumpstart his career.
But nothing in Hollywood is guaranteed, and while the film had a great cast, it didn’t generate the success he anticipated.
It was his first instance of disappointment and a pivotal moment in a career in its infancy.
“I had a heart check because I put all of my eggs into one basket.”
When it didn’t pan out, he questioned his direction. It was an emotional low for him that caused him to briefly explore other careers, including day trading.
Yet he always believed and had faith, so he refocused. He recognized that in order to become successful, he needed TV and film roles.
“I loved the theater but I didn’t care for film acting that much. I couldn’t feel it as much as the theater.”
So he adapted.
“I had no joy until I learned how to do film and TV,” said Richard.
And learn he did.
He started getting more roles in films such as “Event Horizon” and on TV shows such as “Brooklyn South.”
And then 1999 arrived.
The Year of 1999
That year, both TV and film called and Richard T. Jones answered. It resulted in, arguably, his two most notable roles.
On TV, he was cast as Bruce Van Excel in “Judging Amy,” a series that lasted six years. Not only was it steady work, but it was also a period of personal and spiritual growth.
“I grew a lot during that time. That was a really special time in my life,” he told me. “I rededicated myself to the Lord and Jesus helped me through those times.”
But his most memorable role, especially culturally, came when he was cast as Laveinio “Slim” Hightower in Rick Famuyiwa’s classic “The Wood.”
It’s a movie and role that he proudly discusses the significance of.
“There are very few movies that I read the script for and said, ‘I have to be in this movie.’ The Wood was one,” he told me.
“Actually, there were three movies I had to be in; I only got one,” he laughed. “That was The Wood.“
While I was excited to talk about the film, I was more surprised by the stories behind the story, many of which have gone publically undocumented.
“One of the other movies was Jerry Macguire,” said Richard. “It was between me and Cuba and Cuba won….and he got the Oscar too.”
While that was a great movie, The Wood was much more culturally significant.
And the way he got the role is almost as interesting.
Famuyiwa based the film on himself and two friends. When he asked his friend, who became Slim, which actor should play him in the film, he said “You ever see Event Horizon? There’s this Black actor in it. He would be a perfect me.”
That actor was Richard T. Jones. Rick wasn’t familiar with him so he looked him up, got in touch, and Laveinio was brought to life.
“I knew it was going to be a classic,” said Richard.
While The Wood officially put Richard on a new tier among actors, particularly Black actors, his amazing year in 1999 wasn’t done yet.
That year he was vying for roles in two other Black film classics: “The Best Man” and “In Too Deep.” Ironically, or maybe by no coincidence, they both involved his fellow co-stars from The Wood.
Richard was up for the role of God in In Too Deep and Omar Epps was campaigning for him. But, according to Richard, the studio wanted LL Cool J.
While that was going on, he was also up for a role in The Best Man. He wanted to play Harper Stewart, but Taye Diggs ended up getting that role. He debated taking the other role, but he felt like it had the same dynamic as The Wood, so he hesitated.
As he contemplated, Epps and director Michael Rymer fought with the studio to cast Jones as God.
It seemed like it was going to come to fruition, and that solidified his decision to turn down the role in The Best Man.
“I should have done that movie,” said Richard as he exploded in laughter. “I love The Best Man. I should have done that movie.”
Knowing Richard T. Jones
While he didn’t get the part of God, Richard T. Jones has built an amazing acting career that contains one common theme.
He commands roles that attract attention, especially characters in leadership positions.
Whether it’s the hilarious Slim, Governor Sam Denning from Hawaii Five-O or Wade Grey from The Rookie, Jones is in front of the camera in positions of power.
In an industry where Black actors can easily be typecast, Jones has avoided stereotypes.
“I never wanted to be stereotyped as a gang banger,” he told me.
“Even though I loved Menace II Society and O-Dog,” he laughingly added.
His roles and performances stand out, even if he isn’t the lead. That’s another reason why he’s so recognizable.
His roles, and roles that he’s attracted to, have substance. In The Wood, all of the characters were educated. The same goes for The Best Man. That type of character is important to him. As he’s gotten older and started a family, he understands the importance of representation.
That’s one of the reasons why he’s gotten into writing and producing. It enables him to control the narrative.
He and his friends recently wrote their first film, “Fantasy Football,” which was picked up by LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment and aired on Paramount+. Now he’s looking to produce, and eventually direct, faith-friendly films.
“I want to inspire young men, young women and young fathers,” he told me.
Richard T. Jones is an actor with range. He’s versatile and talented enough to hide his jovial, friendly and humorous real-life persona to play an arrogance-tinged best friend or to be considered for the role of a cold and ruthless drug dealer.
Sometimes we don’t realize the breadth and strength of an individual’s career. Many make that mistake with Richard’s resume.
But if you take a moment to look at his career, you’ll recognize true talent.
And then you’ll really know Richard T. Jones.
