Actor / Director Profile

Ty Granderson Jones (a native of Tampa, Florida) is a protege of the late iconic theatre director, Alan Schneider, and a former student of the late Lee Strasberg. He has a BA in Theatre from Florida State University and Florida A&M University as a co-op student, and a MFA in Acting by means of a full fellowship from UCSD in La Jolla.Mr. Jones' professional credits in legit theatre includes Window of Opportunity, Attitudes and Big Guns (earning him a 2000 ADA Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama), the Los Angeles premiere of Buffalo Soldier (earning him a NAACP Theatre Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), the LA premiere of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, the West coast premiere of Balm in Gilead, the 20th Anniversary of the Negro Ensemble Company classic, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, and The School for Scandal at the Tony Award winning South Coast Repertory.Film credits include the Touchstone actioner Con Air with Nicolas Cage, co-starring in the #1 box office rap cult classic CB4 with Chris Rock from Universal Pictures, Oliver Stone's Oscar nominated Salvador, guest starring/recurring as Cue Ball Rodriguez on the critically acclaimed series ER on NBC, the Golden Globe nominated Everybody Hates Chris, and starring as the villainous Max Rice in the urban indie Tapped Out from Maverick Entertainment.As an accomplished screenwriter, Ty also has his own production company Creole Celina Films and is producing several of his original screenplays including his dark, edgy character study, Napoleonic, which completed principle photography on location in New Orleans, starring with a stellar cast. Napoleonic was produced in association with Bright Idea Entertainment (http://www.brightideaent.com). Ty is developing his edgy, off-beat action thriller The Cool and Creepy (a finalist in the Sundance Feature Film Program).Ty is an acclaimed acting teacher. When available, he teaches Acting Technique and Acting for the Camera at the world class New York Film Academy. He also coaches actors and conducts workshops around the country.Ty is a noted poet and has performed his original works featuring John Densmore of The Doors on drums.He is a former amateur boxer, a class 5 whitewater rafter, an accomplished horseman (western), and a testament to turning his life around from the mean streets of Tampa, Florida.The love of his life is God first, family and his wife, Danielle.