Lois & Clark Actor Eddie Jones Has Passed Away

Eddie Jones, who played Jonathan “Pa” Kent on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has passed away. He was 82. The actor, who also appeared in Trading Places and A League of Their Own, began his screen career in earnest in 1978, and has worked consistently ever since, amassing over 75 credits according to the Internet Movie Database. While he has a charm that served him well for years, it wasn’t until he got a little older that he broke into the mainstream consciousness in a big way, playing Pa Kent on Lois & Clark. The series, which starred Dean Cain as Superman/Clark Kent and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, played on the then-current DC Comics continuity, in which Jonathan and Martha Kent were still alive and played an active role in Clark’s life.

Jones and his onscreen wife played by K Callan were regular figures in the series, often sharing screen time with Cain in spite of Clark living in Metropolis. After all, super-speed can be handy. In keeping with John Byrne’s ’80s revival of Superman in The Man of Steel, Jon and Matha were alive and an active part of Superman’s career, helping him to come up with his costume as well as playing an active role in cheering on his romance with Lois. They were additionally sometimes used for comic relief, since the Kents came from a background that is less fast-paced and chaotic than a major city newsroom, let alone than superheroics. This demanded Jones and Callan to have a lot of range.

After the success of Lois & Clark, Jones would return periodically to genre fare. he had a run on The Invisible Man in the role of “The Official,” Charles Borden, which went from 2000-2002. Later, he would provide the voice work for the role of CCS Takkukura in the American dub of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Later in life, he appeared in an episode of Veep, a series in which Callan appeared a few times.

Per KryptonSite, his death was confirmed by the Interact Theatre Company, who issued a brief statement on his passing.

“Our treasured longtime member, dear friend and trusted colleague, Eddie Jones, passed away today,” they wrote on July 6. “Eddie was a true pillar of our company from its earliest days. An actor of keen wit and sharp instinct, when Eddie was on stage, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. When he was off-stage, his broad, bright smile would light up the room. Everyone who knew Eddie as a friend, or had the good fortune to share the stage with him, was touched by his gentle and generous nature. He will be deeply missed by all. ITC extends its deepest condolences to his dear, devoted wife Anita Khanzadian Jones, and extended family. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, Eddie.”