Jill Marie Jones has come a long way from her role as Toni Childs, the fashionable, bougie, and fun-loving character on the UPN sitcom, Girlfriends. In her exciting new role she plays Amanda Fisher, a no-nonsense detective on the Starz original series, Ash vs Evil Dead. She’s investigating weird occurrences in a small Michigan town, fighting demonic creatures, amidst blood, guts, and gore, and oh yes, she’s does 92% of her own stunts.
What’s even more commendable is that Jones has received a second breakout role in Hollywood–something that’s very rare in the TV and Film industry. “Girlfriends opened the door of comedy for me,†said Jones. “And now Ash has shown me that I love action. After filming Ash in New Zealand, I returned to the U.S. with a mass of bruises all over my body. I’ve shown my bruises off like a badge of honor. I loved every minute of it.â€
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With a slew of other notable TV series and films under her belt, the Texas-born actress is sending a clear message–she’s a Hollywood mainstay who brings much more than beauty on set. Black Enterprise caught up with Jones to learn more about her new role, lessons from Girlfriends, and her best advice to aspiring actresses.
Black Enterprise.com: As a child, did you dream about becoming an actress?Â
Jill Marie Jones: No, I don’t remember being a little girl and saying I wanted to be an actress. But my mother wasn’t surprised because of the way I behaved throughout my life. I grew up on NBC soaps, and I do remember being obsessed with Susan Lucci, who played Erica Kane on All My Children. I would watch her and repeat her “lines.†I also loved Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues–the film changed my life. She was brown like me, so it was like, “Wow, I can do that, too.†So, no I didn’t have acting as a target but maybe it was already written.
What’s the best career advice you could give to an aspiring actress?
Everybody’s journey is their own. Stay true to who you are. It’s not only about the things you say “yes” to, it’s also about the things you say “no” to.
I hear people say all the time, “I think I want to start acting.” But if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. So study and take a class. You have to
know what you want to do in this industry because there are a lot of different avenues you can take. When I came to Los Angeles I was very clear on what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I’m very proud to say that I stayed truthfully on my path. A young actor can come here (LA) and just be mind blown. I don’t like the fame. I like being on set; that’s one of the happiest places for me. Someone could say I have to be on set for 18 hours a day and I get excited, like, “What? 18 hours? I’m there!”(Continued on next page)
Why did you take the role as Amanda Fisher?
One of the reasons why I really wanted this role is because Amanda is unapologetically strong and goes for truth. She’s one of the good guys. She’s not waiting for a man to save her and I love that.
Initially, they were very tight-lipped about the script because they didn’t want it to leak to the public. So when I got the chance to read for the character, it said ‘comedy’ on my appointment sheet. I thought it was a typo because there was nothing funny about the script. Moving forward, we were
shooting the show in New Zealand. I finally got the chance to read about the other characters and realized it was several other strong women cast for the show. I thought to myself, how ‘badass’ is that? No one else is waiting on a man to save them. It’s a new day for female roles.Were you familiar with Evil Dead movies?
I didn’t watch Evil Dead movies until I was cast. But, I’m a huge horror genre film fan. I grew up on Poltergeist, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween – I didn’t get into gore until later on in life.
Although you’ve had many roles throughout your career, one of your most notable roles was Tony Childs on Girlfriends, which is a vastly different from Amanda Fisher on Ash vs. Evil Dead. What types of roles do you most enjoy?Â
I’m so blessed. As an actor, if you’re lucky, you get that one role that you’re known for throughout your career. I had that with my role as Toni Childs on Girlfriends. The things that I got to do on Girlfriends is an actresses dream – shout-out to the creator Mara Brock Akil. So many people only get one moment, but I get to do it again as Amanda Fisher on Ash vs Evil Dead, which is another iconic role.
My role on Girlfriends was a shock for me because I didn’t think that I was funny. I never studied comedic acting. During my first season of the show, I would pack my bags every day and never leave anything in my dressing room because I felt like the Executives were going to call me and say, “We found you out, and you’re not funny.” During the first table read, Golden Brooks held  my hand underneath the table because I was shaking like crazy and I was so nervous. Girlfriends was only my third audition in town. I always say I was ‘in the University’ in Girlfriends because I learned so much from the show.
But this character is more aligned with what I have studied all these years. It’s awesome to show people my other muscle with this new action role. I’ve gotten knocked down and bruises all over my body and I loved every minute of it. I’ve also taken arms training to make sure I’m holding the gun correctly because I’ve never held a gun before. I box to workout regularly but we’re also taking MMA training – this is my life and it’s amazing. It’s truly God’s gift.