L.Q. Jones: Who was he?  Actor Dies At 94, Tributes Stream In

L.Q. Jones, who starred in the 1975 picture A Boy and His Dog, died on July 9 at the age of 94. Variety broke the news of his passing first, and Erté deGarces, the late actor’s grandson, confirmed it.

The legendary actor, who was accompanied by family, reportedly died at his Hollywood Hills home, according to the publication. The nonagenarian passed away naturally. However, more information about his passing has not yet been made public.

Jones is survived by his daughter Mindy McQueen, sons Randy McQueen and Steve Marshall, and grandchildren.

Examining the legacy of L.Q. Jones

After serving in the Navy until 1946 and completing his college education, L.Q. Jones entered the acting world, according to Boyd Magers’ Western Clippings book Characters and Heavies.

Jones continued his education in several colleges after his time in the Navy. He appears to have left his legal studies at the University of Texas at Austin in 1951, nevertheless.

Later, L.Q. Jones, whose real name is Justus Ellis McQueen Jr., played professional football and baseball. In addition, he experimented with stand-up comedy before deciding to pursue acting.

In the 1955 war movie Battle Cry, he made his acting debut as Private L.Q. Jones in a minor role. According to rumors, the actor changed his identity in Hollywood to match that of his character.

Following his debut, L.Q. Jones played one-off roles in a variety of TV shows and motion pictures during the mid-1950s and the 1960s. Jones worked on Ride the High Country with acclaimed filmmaker Sam Peckinpah in 1962.

As he appeared in Peckinpah movies like Major Dundee (1965), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1970), this partnership with the Beaumont, Texas native became routine (1973).

Jones directed A Boy and His Dog, one of his best-known films, after twenty years in the business (1975). Don Johnson, then 18 years old, starred in his second picture as a filmmaker.

In the aforementioned movie, Jones later earned a Hugo Award for “Best Dramatic Presentation.” For his efforts on the post-apocalyptic movie, he was also nominated for a Nebula Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Later in his career, Jones had a few guest appearances in well-known TV shows including Charlie’s Angels (in multiple episodes from 1976 to 1980). In 1986, he also received credit in one episode of The A-Team. Additionally, Jones helmed one episode of The Incredible Hulk in 1980.

L.Q. Jones continued to work in the 1990s, making notable appearances in films including Martin Scorsese’s 1995 smash Casino, in which he played Pat Webb. He made his film debut as Three-Fingered Jack in The Mask of Zorro three years later.

Jones had participated in more than 160 projects throughout the course of a career spanning more than five decades. His final project was on A Prairie Home Companion in 2006, where his portrayal of Chuck Akers won some appreciation.