Neal Jones

Neal Jones is an American actor born on January 2, 1960, in Wichita, Kansas, whose work spans stage, film, and television. He trained at the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, Missouri, before relocating to New York to begin his professional career.

Jones made his entry into New York theater through Nicol Williamson's production of Macbeth at the Circle in the Square. He subsequently appeared in The Corn Is Green at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and the Tony Award-winning musical Big River at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, with his Broadway work spanning the years 1982 to 1985. Beyond Broadway, Jones accumulated an extensive record of New York stage credits, including Mike Leigh's Ecstasy and Tom Dulack's Diminished Capacity at The New Group, Kenneth Branagh's Public Enemy at the Irish Arts Center, and the Great Lakes Theater Festival's world premiere of Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales in Cleveland, Ohio, directed by Clifford Williams. In addition to performing, Jones has worked as a director, staging the world premiere of Celtic Tiger (Me Arse) by Don Creedon and the New York premiere of Joseph O'Connor's Red Roses and Petrol, both at the Irish Arts Center, where he has also served as Artistic Director. He is a member of the Actors Studio.

His screen career began with the role of Billy Kostecki in Dirty Dancing, a part for which he remains widely recognized. He has since appeared in more than 25 films, among them Taylor Hackford's The Devil's Advocate, In America, and G.I. Jane. The Devil's Advocate is one of four films in which Jones appeared alongside Al Pacino. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2008 Malibu International Film Festival for his performance in the independent film Mona.

On television, Jones has had recurring and guest roles across a range of series. He appeared in seven episodes of the FX series Rescue Me as Peter Reilly, the gay son of Chief Jerry Reilly, and portrayed Karl Arnold, known as The Fox, in Criminal Minds. His other television credits include The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Law & Order. His work in the miniseries Generation Kill drew specific praise from reviewers Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe and Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger.