At the age of 14, Victoria Jones found herself “fired” by her father, Tommy Lee Jones, from a film role because she refused to get out of bed for an early morning call. This story resurfaced following the tragic news of her daughter’s death at age 34.
Victoria, the daughter of the Oscar-winning actor, was discovered dead at the Fairmont San Francisco Hotel at the start of the year. Authorities indicated there was no initial suspicion of foul play, yet the exact cause of her death is still being looked into.
Nearly two decades ago, her father shared fond memories of working together as he spoke about Victoria in a 2006 New Yorker interview.
Jones reminisced about Victoria’s performance as a young Mexican girl in the film “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.” He reflected on her remarkable maturity and professionalism for her age.
In that interview, Jones noted, “She’s a good actress, she has a SAG card, and she speaks perfect Spanish.” He elaborated that her language skills were nurtured from an early age when she requested that nurses communicate with her in Spanish.
However, the demands of being on a movie set challenged her resolve. “She had to wake up at five in the morning for her role,” he remembered. “One morning she just wouldn’t get out of bed. I said, ‘Honey, this is work.’ But she wouldn’t move, so I fired her.” Despite that, the crew rallied to wake her up just in time for the shoot.
At the time, he was traveling globally with the film, expressing pride in his children’s independence.
Victoria’s acting career was brief but included parts in “Men in Black II” alongside her father and a small role on the series “One Tree Hill.” After her teenage years, she didn’t continue pursuing acting.
Emergency responders received a call at 2:52 a.m. on New Year’s Day regarding a medical situation. Unfortunately, when paramedics arrived, they declared her deceased at the scene.
San Francisco police were notified shortly after and arrived around 3:14 a.m. to handle the situation. They coordinated with medical personnel before the case was handed to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Sources indicate that foul play is not suspected in the case; however, an official cause of death has yet to be determined, and further details are withheld.
Attempts to reach Tommy Lee Jones’s representatives for comments went unanswered, and the hotel also did not respond.
Victoria Jones was the daughter of Tommy Lee Jones and his second wife, Kimberly Crawley, from their marriage in 1981 until their divorce in 1996. She had a younger brother, Austin.
In recent years, Victoria mostly avoided the spotlight, only occasionally appearing at events with her father.
Her past included multiple encounters with law enforcement, including arrests related to substance-related charges and domestic assault, according to available court records. She maintained her innocence in the Napa County case and was later released on bail.
