Doug Jones

Doug Jones
Originally uploaded by ehiggin.

Artist
1.One, such as a painter, sculptor, or writer, who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works
of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts.
2.A person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skill: You are an artist in the kitchen.
3.One, such as an actor or singer, who works in the performing arts.


I clearly remember the first time I met Doug Jones. My roommate and I met Doug for breakfast at a trendy L.A. cafe called The Aroma. I had only been in L.A. for three or four days, so meeting a real life working actor was a real treat. The only thing I knew about Doug before I met him was that he had been in a series of McDonald's
commercials in the 80's. (Remember the McDonald's commercial where that crescent-moon-head-guy plays the piano? That was Doug.) I had to think about the 80's commercial for a minute to remember it.

The Aroma is in Studio City, next to a quaint little residential neighborhood. (Quaint little suburban homes in Studio City are in the neighborhood of $500,000 to 3 or 4 $million). Anyhoo, we parked there on the curb for convenience. My first sight of Doug was the gangly 40 something man emerging from his brown 80's Porsche, a warm smile on his face and his arms wide open.He embraced me tightly, his soul bursting with love. It was instant destiny. I loved this man.

We sat, ate lunch, and laughed. Doug asked me about my goals in Hollywood, and he told me a bit of his legacy. To my delight, I learned that he had been in a string of 80's horror films. He was in Night Angel and NewlyDeads just to name a couple. Doug has a niche in the science fiction film market. He usually plays ghouls, monsters, or alien creatures. Think that's a bad thing? He's actually my hero. He's quite a contortionist. He has a whacky imagination, and he can adapt to almost any role.

I was also delighted to learn that Doug has been under Tim Burton in the film Batman Returns. He has parts in Adaptation, Mystery Men, and was in a number of sketches on In Living Color. He's also Abe Sapien in Hellboy. He would probably be embarassed if he read this, because he's very humble. He works consistently, and I'm constantly learning new projects he played a part in. It may be in poor taste for me to recite part of his resume, but I feel oddly connected to Doug. I appreciate his quirky style, and his optimistic work ethic.

I went to a party at a friend's house. Her name is Hunter. I wish I could tell you how gorgeous (she) and her house are. When I first went there, Doug gave me a piggy-back tour of the whole place. I love making Doug laugh, and he also seems to crack me up most of the time. In the get-togethers, he is gracious enough to invite groups of struggling twenty-somethings to socialize, and get connected in such a disconnected society. We watched short films, ate, laughed, and had terrific times. Doug's wife is an angel.

Being an artist seems like an elusive thing to me. Someone can paint a tree on a canvas, but they're not necessarily an artist. An artist, to me, is someone who creates things that I feel a connection to. There may be something subconscious, or emotional that creates a kinship. I feel that the title "artist" is handed out far too loosely in our pop culture. To me, an artist is genuinely inspiring, and inspired themselves. They create because they are creative. They have something to say, with art. And, you feel that magic. To me, Doug Jones is truly an artist.
He's creative, and he's brimming with sincere love and humility. I appreciate that he reached out to me and shared some adventure with me in Los Angeles.