# Jasmine Cephas Jones

Jasmine Cephas Jones (/ˈsiːfəs/; born July 21, 1989) is an American-British actress and singer who is best known for originating the dual roles of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the Broadway stage musical Hamilton. Her work on Hamilton's accompanying cast album earned her a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. In 2020, Cephas Jones won a Creative Arts Emmy for portraying Tyisha in #freerayshawn.

## Early life and education

Jasmine Cephas Jones was born on July 21, 1989 in London, England but grew up in Midwood, Brooklyn. She is the daughter of actor Ron Cephas Jones (1957-2023), who was of African American heritage, and British-born jazz singer Kim Lesley, who is white.
She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and Berklee College of Music, and graduated from Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in 2011.

## Career

Jones has made small appearances in multiple independent films, including Titus (2013) and Fairfield (2014). She has also appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, and Mrs. Fletcher.
In 2015, she originated the roles of Maria Reynolds and Peggy Schuyler in the original Off-Broadway production of Hamilton. When the show moved to Broadway, she continued in those roles, and remained with that production until December 8, 2016. In 2016, she won a Grammy Award for her work as one of the principal soloists on the Hamilton cast album. She has solos in 'Schuyler Sisters' and 'Say No To This'.
At Super Bowl LI, she, along with Hamilton castmates Renée Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo, sang "America the Beautiful".
Jones also appears in the 2015 film Mistress America, the 2018 film Dog Days, and the critically acclaimed 2018 film Blindspotting. In 2020, she appeared as a secondary character in the short series #Freerayshawn, winning an Emmy for her performance as Tyisha. Jones' 2020 Emmy win made history both alongside her father Ron Cephas Jones for being the first father-daughter duo to win Emmy Awards in the same year, and as the first-ever Black woman to win in the Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category.
Following the positive response to the Blindspotting film, cable and streaming network Starz along with Lionsgate Television, Snoot Entertainment, and Dreams With Friends Inc., ordered a spin-off series following the events of the film. The series had Jones set to lead the cast, reviving her role as Ashley for the series as it surrounds her character. The series also had Jones set to serve as producer for the season, awarding her a first producing credit. Blindspotting premiered on June 13, 2021 and was renewed for a second season by Starz on October 14, 2021.
On July 13, 2021, Jones and her father Ron Cephas Jones announced the 2021 Primetime Emmy nominees on behalf of the Television Academy. On October 25, 2021, it was announced that Jones had signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency) Representation.
Jones plays the role of Swan on the 2024 concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, Warriors.

## Personal life

On December 24, 2018, Cephas Jones became engaged to fellow Hamilton original Broadway cast member Anthony Ramos, whom she met and began dating in 2014 during rehearsals for the original, Off-Broadway, production of Hamilton at The Public Theatre. It was reported that the couple split in November 2021.

## Theatre

| Year | Production | Role | Type |
| 2014 | The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner | Kenisha | Off-Broadway |
| 2015 | Hamilton | Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds | Off-Broadway |
| 2015–2016 | Hamilton | Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds | Broadway |
| 2019 | Cyrano | Roxanne | Off-Broadway |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Titus | Jessica | |
| 2014 | Fairfield | Lindsey | |
| 2015 | Mistress America | Nicolette | |
| 2018 | Blindspotting | Ashley | |
| 2018 | Monsters and Men | Marisol Ortega | |
| 2018 | Dog Days | Lola | |
| 2019 | Marriage Story | Theater Actor | |
| 2020 | The Photograph | Rachel Miller | |
| 2020 | Hamilton | Peggy Schuyler / Maria Reynolds | |
| 2020 | Honest Thief | Beth Hall | |
| 2022 | Erax | Auntie Opal | Short |
| 2023 | Origin | Elizabeth Davis | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Shania Costa | Episode: "Justice Served" |
| 2014 | Unforgettable | Ellen | Episode: "East of Islip" |
| 2016 | Odd Mom Out | TKTS Seller | Episode: "Hamming It Up" |
| 2017 | Girls | Shopgirl | Episodes: "Full Disclosure", "The Bounce" |
| 2018 | Midnight, Texas | Addie Wigget | Episodes: “Patience is a Virtue”, “Yasss, Queen” |
| 2019 | Mrs. Fletcher | Chloe | 5 episodes |
| 2020 | #FreeRayshawn | Tyisha | 15 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Blindspotting | Ashley Rose | 16 episodes; also producer |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist |
| 2019 | "Mind Over Matter" | Anthony Ramos |
| 2019 | "Moonlight" | Jasmine Cephas Jones |
| 2020 | "Little Bird" | Jasmine Cephas Jones |
| 2024 | "Brighter" ft.Kevin Garett | Jasmine Cephas Jones, Kevin Garett |
| 2024 | "Baby I Cant Give You Up" | Jasmine Cephas Jones |

## Discography
### Albums

| Title | Year |
| Phoenix | 2024 |

### Extended plays

| Title | Year |
| Blue Bird | 2020 |

### Singles

| Title | Year | Album/EP |
| "Moonlight" | 2019 | Blue Bird |
| "Wild Thing" | 2020 | Blue Bird |
| "Little Bird" | 2020 | Blue Bird |
| "Wild Thing Remix ft. Daveed Diggs" | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Brighter" ft. Kevin Garett | 2024 | Phoenix |
| Baby I Can't Give You Up | 2024 | Phoenix |

### Guest appearances

| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "Freedom" | 2018 | Anthony Ramos, Broken Luxury | The Freedom EP |
| "What's Going On" | 2020 | Devon Gilfillian | What's Going On |

### Soundtrack and cast album appearances

| Album | Year | Role |
| Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | 2015 | Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds |
| Blindspotting (Music from the STARZ Original Series, Season 1) | 2021 | Ashley Rose |
| Blindspotting (Music from the STARZ Original Series, Season 2) | 2023 | Ashley Rose |
| Warriors | 2024 | Swan |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Work | Result |
| 2016 | Broadway.com Audience Awards | May 10, 2016 | Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical | Hamilton | Nominated |
| 2016 | Broadway.com Audience Awards | May 10, 2016 | Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance | Hamilton | Nominated |
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | February 15, 2016 | Best Musical Theater Album | Hamilton | Won |
| 2019 | Imagen Awards | August 10, 2019 | Best Actress – Feature Film | Monsters and Men | Nominated |
| 2020 | Antonyo Awards | June 19, 2020 | Best Featured Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway | Cyrano | Won |
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | September 17, 2020 | Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | #FreeRayshawn | Won |
| 2021 | NAACP Image Awards | March 27, 2021 | Outstanding Performance in a Short-Form Series | #FreeRayshawn | Nominated |
| 2021 | Women's Image Awards | October 14, 2021 | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Blindspotting | Nominated |
| 2021 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | March 6, 2022 | Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series | Blindspotting | Nominated |
| 2022 | NAMIC Vision Awards | April 27, 2022 | Best Performance – Comedy | Blindspotting | Nominated |
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | August 14, 2022 | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy | Blindspotting | Nominated |
| 2024 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy | Blindspotting | Nominated |