L.Q. Jones, ‘A Boy and His Dog’ director and veteran Western actor, dead at 94

L.Q. Jones, a veteran Western actor who appeared in hit TV shows, such as “Charlie’s Angels” and “Hawaii Five-O,” has died. He was 94.

Jones’ grandson, Ert? deGarces, said that his grandfather passed away Saturday of natural causes while he was surrounded by family at his home in Hollywood Hills, California.

“The legendary LQ Jones (aka Justice Ellis McQueen) took his last ride into the sunset this morning,” deGarces captioned his post. “He was at his sweet pad in the Hollywood Hills, surrounded by family, as he gave up the ghost. He made a son to be a dad for me, and gave a middle name for Romeo, and for that I am forever grateful. Thanks Mr. Jones, your family and fans will miss you.”

Jones was born Justice Ellis McQueen Jr. Aug. 19, 1927, in Beaumont, Texas, the son of a railroad worker, The Hollywood Reporter revealed. When he was young, his mother Jessie was killed in an automobile accident and Jones was raised by relatives. Jones went on to serve in the U.S. Navy and studied law at the University of Texas, where his roommate was future “Daniel Boone” star Fess Parker.

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After college, Jones bought a ranch in Nicaragua where he hoped to make money on beans, corn and dairy. When that did not pan out, Jones sent a copy of the Leon Uris novel “Battle Cry” to Parker, who was playing a soldier in the 1955 film adaptation. Parker encouraged Jones to visit him in Hollywood. Within two days of arriving, Jones had the part of Pvt. L.Q. Jones. Jones liked his character’s name so much that he quickly adopted it as his stage name.

Jones’ childhood upbringing went on to play a prominent role in his career.

“I had a horse by the time I was 8 or 9 and grew up around tough rodeo people – my uncle was into roping – so Westerns were easy and fun,” Jones once recalled.

Thanks to Parker’s encouragement, Jones kept busy on numerous projects, including “Cheyenne,” “Gunsmoke,” “Laramie,” “Wagon Train,” “Rawhide,” Johnny Ringo,” “The Big Valley” and “Perry Mason” — just to name a few. He also appeared in films, such as 1955’s “Target Zero,” Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” in 1956, as well as 1958’s “The Naked and the Dead” and 1960’s “Flaming Star.”

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Jones said Stanley Kubrick offered him the role of Major T.J. “King” Kong in 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” However, he was “tied up with another picture.” The role later went to Slim Pickens.

In the mid-’60s, Jones and fellow actor Alvy Moore formed the production company LQ/JAF. They made four films: 1964’s “The Devil’s Bedroom,” 1969’s “The Witchmaker,” 1971’s “The Brotherhood of Satan” and 1975’s “A Boy and His Dog,” which he directed, produced and wrote the script for.

“After doing ‘A Boy and His Dog,’ I had a whole bunch of offers to direct and more money than it cost to make the picture, for chrissakes,” he once reflected. “But I couldn’t see working all that time and all the effort to make that. So I just kept saying, ‘No,’ and I finally just said, ‘To hell with it,’ and just stopped and went on with the acting. Because by then I could pretty well pick and choose what I wanted to do.”

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During his decades-long career in Hollywood, Jones made his mark in several iconic shows, including “Bonanza,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

Jones is survived by his three children: sons Randy and Steve, and daughter Mindy.