Actress and Playwright Was 75
Remembering Jessie Jones: From TV Actress to Successful Playwright
Jessie Jones, a talented TV actress who later found success as a playwright, passed away on March 20 in Washington, D.C. after a long illness, as announced by her friend and writing partner Jamie Wooten.
During her acting career in the ’80s and ’90s, Jones made guest appearances on popular shows such as “Night Court,” “Designing Women,” and “Murphy Brown,” among others. She also starred in TV movies like “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom” and “Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Baby Jessica.”
Transitioning from acting to writing, Jones co-created the Off-Broadway comedy “Dearly Departed” and went on to write for the Warner Bros. sitcom “For Your Love” and the children’s series “Teacher’s Pet.” She also collaborated with Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten to create a series of Southern comedies that have been widely produced and translated into multiple languages.
Among her notable works are “The Sweet Delilah Swim Club,” “The Red Velvet Cake War,” and “Christmas Belles.” Her partnership with Hope and Wooten resulted in 26 titles published by Concord Theatricals. Wooten described her as the most-produced female American playwright.
Jones is survived by her sisters, a brother-in-law, a niece, nephews, and her friend and writing partner Wooten. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Planned Parenthood.
