Interview with Ron Cephas Jones for LISEY’S STORY

Ahead of its release, I was able to speak with Ron Cephas Jones, who stars in Appletv’s recent Lisey’s Story, a miniseries based on the Stephen King book of the same name. Jones plays Prof Dashiel, a professor seeking out the works of the late Scott Landon (Clive Owen) from his wife Lisey (Julianne Moore) and who, when met with objection, turns to Jim Dooley (Dane DeHaan) to help resolve it.

We were able to talk about the details of his character, the interesting depth of the series, and the mastery of Stephen King:

The interview has been edited for clarity. 

This is Kristy Strouse with Film Inquiry. Nice to meet you. Thank you for taking the time today! So, I’m curious, were you a fan of the novel prior to starting on the series?

Ron Cephas Jones: I hadn’t read it before. But, I read it integral as I was doing the work. I was at that point where I wasn’t sure whether I should date myself with the novel. But once I knew that Stephen King was writing every episode and his hand was already in there, then I didn’t have to worry too much about trying to see if I was following the book because it was coming directly from his hand. I used it in conjunction and made some references only when I needed to. And then I got back to the material after the project was done.

What did you think of your character when you first read the script?

Ron Cephas Jones: Just the character?

To start!

Ron Cephas Jones: Oh, I love the ambiguity of the fact that at first, you realize he’s the antagonizer, and then at the same time, there’s a line that he’s running that he’s trying to stay within. But also, depending on how you look at the idea of how we pursue power, and how we pursue success, and… how we pursue the things that we’re willing to do to get success, or how we’re able to try to go and take something from someone that’s not ours, but we feel deserve it. All of these little human elements that are layered into the human experience of the real idea of how we act and react to things. So, it could be something as small as say, I don’t know… a broom, and someone else has a more beautiful broom, and you got to figure out a way to sweep your floor better, or just that whole feeling of like, upping the game, right? And this is where the professor is, and then that type of thinking can get you into areas where you may not have wanted to be.

Yeah! There’s definitely a lot of mystery with your character at first, which I loved. You’re not sure of his intentions. What about the story as a whole?

Ron Cephas Jones: What an incredible story. We learned that it’s one of Stephen King‘s most intimate novels and intimate stories. What attracted me to it really was the fact that it’s based on an intense love story, and it’s also based on loss. And we all have that personal loss. We all have those stories, depending on how we tell them, and who we are telling them to. But, we have those stories about how our mother who we lost comes back and speaks to us, we have those moments, even if it’s a pet, where you hear a dog barking, and it sounds just like the dog that you will spent time with, and you look around the corner, and you see a dog that looks exactly like your dog, but it’s not your dog, right? We have those moments, those spooky moments in life. And some people will run up to the dog and actually start to hold the dog as if were there’s. There are these little human moments that we all have to fess up to that we have, but we don’t talk about. And Stephen King talks about it and then takes it to a whole other level. So for me as an actor, that’s what I look for the things that are very personal, in a story. And then the deeper personal part of it and when I’m able to reveal those little dark secrets. That’s the beauty of Stephen’s writing. That’s how I entered the material as a craftsman and an artist, as well, to keep it specific to what the storyteller is trying to say.

Absolutely, I love that. Did you work closely with him as far as understanding the character?

Ron Cephas Jones: From the script, it was pretty clear, because this is one of the things I’m jealous about, Kristy: some of the other actors got a chance to actually specifically physically work with him. But, because of the way my scenes were put together, I didn’t have that privy. But nevertheless, you could feel his presence. It is very… Stephen King-like, right?

Yes!

Ron Cephas Jones: Okay. What I’m saying is real, you could feel his presence, even if he wasn’t physically there. Because his words… you knew that they were his words on the page, and it was coming directly from him, not from a second or third source. And that’s how you could feel it. Maybe even seeing what he had written three days ago, four days ago, or something he had made changes to. You could feel that, and so that was a lot for me, you know?

I definitely do. So, the relationship you have with Jim Dooley is a very interesting one, to say the least…

Ron Cephas Jones: That’s when you open the door, and you think there’s going to be a breeze and it’s a storm, and then just too late, now the door is open. Even if it’s cracked, it kind of felt like that. It’s like, okay, let me crack this door to see maybe if this might be an angle. And then when the door is cracked, all of a sudden, something blows to the door. And you’re like, that’s where it’s interesting that you mentioned that Kristy, because that’s where you start to see the crack in the professor. And you’re not quite sure if the professor is going to actually embrace the storm, or be succumbed by the storm, but you’re not sure. And that’s the ambiguity of the professor at that point, right? You’re going along with it, but then that’s when you’re not sure. What is this guy going to do now? And so then that’s the masterful part about Stephen King, even in that character, he finds those little specific things. That was my job as a craftsman to go in and find those, that specificity of how those moments affect this particular man.

Yeah, and with you and Dooley (Dane Dehaan) you’re both fans, but very different kinds.  

Ron Cephas Jones: Yes! It’s kind of like an inch. How much are you willing to go after that goal? Like the goal is dangled. So, as a human- how far would you go to get success? How far would you go to get more power, and we see that play out in so many people’s lives, right? Some people, do it, they cross the line, and it starts to affect so many other people. And that’s what happens in this story. It’s a ripple effect of each person’s actions. But, it’s also a beautiful love story, an intense love story about a woman and a man who were able to connect in a way that’s, you know, beyond just the conscious, but the subconscious. I love that about the story as well, we can’t miss that. That’s such an integral part of how Clive and Julianne play together, and how you feel this intense when you know someone so much that you follow them even after they leave this plane. And I think that’s, that’s a beautiful part about it that I loved very much.

That’s wonderfully said too, and it is one of my favorite parts. Lisey’s Story is a very interesting mix of genres. It’s psychological, and there’s a love story, but it’s also very… Stephen King.

Ron Cephas Jones: Yes, dark, very dark. That’s right. And disturbing as well, you know, but, you know before we get cut off Kristy is that I think I’m missing one thing. Many of what he creates, is a human thing that he writes. It’s what I think people are afraid of, it’s like, the fear comes from the fact that it’s human, and that there are things about us that we could journey into, and that we find ways to stop and halt ourselves. Because, you know, we cross that line, and Stephen crosses that line constantly. And so he reveals our inner fears, as well as the outside fears, right? It’s not just the monster in the closet. It’s that monster within and that’s even scarier. And he’s a master at it.

I love that! And I agree, entirely. It is so often the monster within and also, often, the monster outside.  Thanks again for taking the time to speak with me, it was wonderful chatting.

Ron Cephas Jones: You too, thank you!

We’d like to thank Ron Cephas Jones for speaking with us. 

Lisey’s Story premieres on Appletv+ on June 4th.