Jeffrey Duncan Jones was born in Buffalo, New York. He is a very tall, fair-haired character actor who is recognized all over for his excellent work. He is a veteran stage actor having such plays as "The Elephant Man" and Neil Simon's "London Suite" under his belt. His first film role was in The Revolutionary (1970).

He is best known for his roles as Joseph II in Amadeus, Edward R. Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice. Jones' career started in Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, advanced to London and Broadway, before leading to a series of character acting roles in film and television, which often capitalized on Jones' deadpan delivery of characters in unusual situations to comic effect.