# Jon Jon Briones

Ernesto Cloma Briones Jr. (born August 7, 1965), known as Jon Jon Briones, is a Filipino-American actor best known for his work in musical theatre. He played the Engineer in the original casts in the West End revival of Miss Saigon in 2014, for which he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and reprised the part on Broadway in 2017.

## Career

While an engineering student in the Philippines, Briones became involved with the original 1989 London production of Miss Saigon. Briones had a friend who was a producer in the Philippines, who asked Briones to help "facilitate an audition" for the Cameron Mackintosh team who were holding auditions in the Philippines for Miss Saigon. In addition to helping with the organization of the auditions, Briones himself auditioned for and then became a member of the ensemble.
He has been involved with various touring productions of Miss Saigon, as a swing and covering other roles, finally playing the Engineer. In 2014 he joined the original cast of the Miss Saigon West End revival, playing the Engineer. He was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for playing this role and won the Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He remained in the role until the production closed on February 27, 2016.
In 2017, Briones transferred with the production to Broadway at the Broadway Theatre. Previews started on March 1, 2017, with an official opening on March 23.
On April 30, 2019, Briones received the Visionary Award from East West Players during their annual awards dinner and silent auction. The award is given to celebrate individuals that are able to raise the visibility of Asian Pacific Americans through their work. During his acceptance speech, Briones said that his "vision is that we change hearts and minds in Hollywood and in the theatre community so they see that we have a voice and a story – beautiful stories – to tell, and we are the ones who can and should tell it."
In 2018, he appeared in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story as Modesto Cunanan, father of Gianni Versace's murderer, Andrew Cunanan, and in American Horror Story: Apocalypse as Ariel Augustus.
In 2020, Briones appeared in the Netflix drama series Ratched, portraying Dr. Richard Hanover.
In 2022, Briones appeared in the second season of Star Trek: Picard. His daughter, Isa Briones, is a main cast member on the series.
In 2023, Jon Jon Briones played the role of Joseph in the movie 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter.' This drama/horror film tells the story of the crew of the merchant ship Demeter, who sail towards London to deliver a cargo of 50 unmarked wooden crates, only to discover that they are not alone. The presence of Dracula haunts them throughout the entire ship.
In March 2024, Briones joined the cast of Hadestown on Broadway, portraying Hermes. He starred opposite his daughter, who made her Broadway debut as Eurydice.

## Personal life

Briones was born in Quezon City, Philippines and became a United States citizen in 2010. In 1996, he married Megan Johnson. They have two children: Isa Briones (b. 1999) and Teo Briones (b. 2005). His wife and both children are also actors.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Potluck | | Short film |
| 2008 | Proud American | Dawn's Father | |
| 2008 | An Immigrant Girl's Journey | Paulo Alcedo | Short film |
| 2008 | Brown Soup Thing | Uncle Jon Jon | |
| 2010 | Breathe | Rhadamanths | Short film |
| 2012 | Jolly B. Fierce | Edward Biagan | Short film |
| 2012 | Nico's Sampaguita | Raul | Short film |
| 2012 | Just an American | Father of Dawn Trang | |
| 2014 | Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage | Asian Genie | |
| 2014 | Blood Ransom | Father Mena | |
| 2016 | Miss Saigon: 25th Anniversary | The Engineer | |
| 2018 | Model Home | Mr. Fan | |
| 2022 | Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration | Maurice | TV film special |
| 2023 | The Last Voyage of the Demeter | Joseph | |
| TBA | Patron Saints of Nothing | Tito Maning | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003–2004 | Las Vegas | Cosme Caliyag | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Moonlight | Party Goer | Episode: "Out of the Past" |
| 2008 | Sons of Anarchy | Asian Elvis | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2009 | Monk | First Mercenary | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Magician" |
| 2010 | Miami Medical | Technician | Episode: "Diver Down" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: LA | Brant Ross | Episode: "Hollywood" |
| 2011 | Southland | Rama | Episode: "Graduation Day" |
| 2013 | The Mentalist | Mr. Lam | Episode: "My Blue Heaven" |
| 2014 | Bones | Adrian Lingao | Episode: "Big in the Philippines" |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Lama Vajra | Episode: "Abominable" |
| 2018 | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | Modesto Cunanan | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Designated Survivor | Prime Minister Khallou | Episode: "Bad Reception" |
| 2018 | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Ariel Augustus | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Better Things | Himself | Episode: "The Unknown" |
| 2019 | All Rise | Daniel Mendoza | Episode: "How to Succeed in Law Without Really Re-Trying" |
| 2020 | Ratched | Dr. Richard Hanover | Main role |
| 2021 | Trese | Hank | Voice role |
| 2022 | Star Trek: Picard | Confederation Magistrate | Episodes: "Penance" and "Assimilation" |
| 2022 | Transformers: EarthSpark | Alex Malto | Voice role |
| 2023 | Class of '09 | Gabriel | Main cast |

## Theatre credits

| Year | Production | Role | Venue |
| 1989-1992 | Miss Saigon | Ensemble | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End |
| 1992 | Into the Woods | Rapunzel’s Prince | Repertory Philippines |
| 1993 | Little Shop of Horrors | Seymour Krelborn | Repertory Philippines |
| 1993 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | The Narrator | Repertory Philippines |
| 1993 | Les Misérables | Enjolras | Repertory Philippines |
| 1994 | The Wiz | The Lion | Repertory Philippines |
| 1994 | Miss Saigon | Swing | German Tour |
| 1995 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | German Tour |
| 1997 | Children of Eden | Adult Storyteller | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 1998-1999 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer (Alternate) | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End |
| 2000 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer (Alternate) | Cultural Center of the Philippines |
| 2001 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | Asia Tour |
| 2002–2004 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | North American Tour |
| 2004–2006 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | U.K. Tour |
| 2012 | A Little Night Music | Fredrik Egerman | East West Players |
| 2014–2016 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | Prince Edward Theatre, West End |
| 2016 | La Cage aux Folles | Georges | East West Players |
| 2017–2018 | Miss Saigon | The Engineer | Broadway Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018 | Sweet Charity | Herman | Freud Playhouse |
| 2023 | Waterfall: A New Musical | Than Chao Khun | Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre |
| 2024 | Hadestown | Hermes | Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway |
| 2024 | Pacific Overtures | Reciter, Shogun, Emperor | East West Players |