# Jasmine Cephas Jones
**Jasmine Cephas Jones** is a British-American stage and screen actress, singer, and producer, an Emmy and Grammy Award winner best known for originating the dual roles of [Peggy Schuyler](https://www.edgepedia.org/peggy-schuyler) and [Maria Reynolds](https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-reynolds) in *Hamilton*, for starring in and producing the Starz series *Blindspotting*, and for winning the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for Quibi's *#FreeRayshawn*.[1](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/jasmine-cephas-jones/profile/) • [2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jasmine-cephas-jones) She is the daughter of the Emmy-winning actor [Ron Cephas Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-cephas-jones) and the British-born jazz singer Rev. Kim Lesley.[4](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signature stage role | Originated Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in *Hamilton*, Off-Broadway in 2015 and on Broadway from July 13, 2015 to December 8, 2016[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277) |
| Emmy | 2020, Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, as Tyisha in *#FreeRayshawn* (Quibi; Fuqua Films / Sony Pictures Television)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jasmine-cephas-jones) |
| Grammy | Best Musical Theater Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, as a principal soloist on the *Hamilton* cast album[5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jasmine-cephas-jones/19106/) |
| *Blindspotting* | Reprised her film role as Ashley in the Starz series, which premiered June 13, 2021, and served as a producer[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/) |
| Music | EP *Blue Bird* (2020) and the 13-track debut album *Phoenix*; featured as "Swan" on the *Warriors* concept album for Atlantic Records[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix) • [8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/) |
| Family | Daughter of actor Ron Cephas Jones and British-born jazz singer Rev. Kim Lesley[4](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845) |
## Early life, family, and training
She was born into a performing household. The Internet Broadway Database records her birth date as 1989, in Brooklyn, New York, and lists her as the daughter of Ron Cephas Jones[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277); the Library of Congress authority record gives her birth year more loosely as 1988 or 1989[9](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2015143079). Her mother is the British-born jazz singer Rev. Kim Lesley[4](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845). In a Grammy.com interview she described the household directly: "My mom is a jazz singer. My dad was a jazz aficionado," and she grew up attending her mother's gigs and theater through her actor father[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix).
She trained as a coloratura soprano at LaGuardia High School in New York City and attended [Berklee College of Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/berklee-college-of-music), using [Stevie Wonder](https://www.edgepedia.org/stevie-wonder)'s "Living for the City" as her audition song from middle school onward[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix). NBC's profile likewise describes a performing arts high school in New York followed by Berklee[10](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-is-jasmine-cephas-jones-ron-cephas-jones-daughter). The sources disagree on her birthplace: IBDB gives Brooklyn[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277), while NBC states she was born in London[10](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-is-jasmine-cephas-jones-ron-cephas-jones-daughter); Broadway.com describes her as British-American and notes her British-born mother.[1](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/jasmine-cephas-jones/profile/)
## Stage career
**Hamilton.** In 2015 she originated the roles of Maria Reynolds and Peggy Schuyler in the original [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) production of *Hamilton*; when the show moved to Broadway she continued in those roles and remained with the production until December 8, 2016[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). IBDB records the Broadway run as July 13, 2015 through December 8, 2016[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277). The two roles sit at opposite ends of the show's moral world, the comic youngest Schuyler sister and the woman entangled in [Alexander Hamilton](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-hamilton)'s affair, and she carried solos in both "The Schuyler Sisters" and "Say No to This"[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). With castmates [Renée Elise Goldsberry](https://www.edgepedia.org/renee-elise-goldsberry) and Phillipa Soo she sang "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LI[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/).
The cast recording carried her work to a wider audience: at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards the *Hamilton* album won Best Musical Theater Album, with her among the principal soloists listed alongside [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://www.edgepedia.org/lin-manuel-miranda), Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, and [Christopher Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-jackson)[5](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jasmine-cephas-jones/19106/).
## Screen career
Her film credits run from *Mistress America* (2015) through *Dog Days* (2018), *Blindspotting* (2018), *Monsters and Men* (2018), *Marriage Story* (2019), *Honest Thief* (2020), and *The Photograph* (2020), and she is credited as [Josephine Baker](https://www.edgepedia.org/josephine-baker) in *The Pearl and the Onion* (2025)[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). Her television work includes *Blindspotting*, *#FreeRayshawn*, *Mrs. Fletcher*, *Midnight, Texas*, and *Girls*[4](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845).
**Blindspotting.** After playing Ashley in the 2018 film, she reprised the role as the lead of the Starz television continuation and served as a producer on it. The series premiered on June 13, 2021 and was renewed for a second season on October 14, 2021[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). The performance drew nominations for a Black Reel Award, a Film Independent Spirit Award, a Hollywood Critics Association Television Award, and a Women's Image Network Award[4](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845).
**Recent work.** Broadway.com lists her recent screen work as the [DC Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-studios) series *Lanterns*, [Ava DuVernay](https://www.edgepedia.org/ava-duvernay)'s film *Origin* opposite Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and *Blindspotting*[1](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/jasmine-cephas-jones/profile/). In March 2025, Deadline reported her casting as "Young Bernadette," the resilient mother of John Stewart and the family fixer, in HBO's DC series *Lanterns* from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and [Tom King](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-king), joining leads Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre[8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/).
## Music
Her recording career runs parallel to her acting. She released her debut EP, *Blue Bird*, in 2020[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix). Her full-length debut album *Phoenix* is a 13-track LP that began, by her account, as a story of romance, produced with collaborators including Samora Pinderhughes and *Blue Bird* producer Zach Golden, and released roughly four years after the EP[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix). Deadline reports that the album was released on all platforms[8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/). She also plays the character "Swan" on *Warriors*, the concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis released on [Atlantic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-records)[8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/).
## Awards and recognition
Her 2020 Emmy was unusual on two counts. She won Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for playing Tyisha in *#FreeRayshawn*, and Broadway World records that she was the first-ever Black woman to win that category[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jasmine-cephas-jones) • [6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). The same ceremony made television history within her own family: she and her father became the first father-daughter duo to win Emmy Awards on the same night, Ron Cephas Jones taking his second Emmy, for playing William in *This Is Us*[10](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-is-jasmine-cephas-jones-ron-cephas-jones-daughter). The two had already shared a screen, both appearing in the 2018 film *Dog Days*[10](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-is-jasmine-cephas-jones-ron-cephas-jones-daughter).
The family's Emmy connection continued into the next cycle. On July 13, 2021, the 73rd Emmy nominations were presented by the Emmy-winning father and daughter jointly, on behalf of the Television Academy[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jasmine-cephas-jones) • [6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/). Later that year, on October 25, 2021, she signed with the talent agency CAA[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/).
## By the numbers: what has changed since 2023
The period since 2023 has shifted her center of gravity from acting toward recording and toward new screen franchises. *Phoenix*, her first full-length album, moved from announcement to release on all platforms[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix) • [8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/). Her recorded-music footprint now spans three projects: the 2020 EP *Blue Bird*, the 13-track *Phoenix*, and the *Warriors* concept album for Atlantic Records, where she sings the named role of Swan[7](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix) • [8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/). On screen, she joined two high-profile projects: Ava DuVernay's *Origin* and, in March 2025, *Lanterns*, HBO's DC series, where she plays the mother of John Stewart alongside Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre[1](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/jasmine-cephas-jones/profile/) • [8](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/). She is also credited as Josephine Baker in *The Pearl and the Onion*, dated 2025[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/).
## References
1. [Jasmine Cephas Jones Biography, Broadway Buzz, Broadway.com](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/jasmine-cephas-jones/profile/)
2. [Jasmine Cephas Jones – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jasmine-cephas-jones-501277)
3. [Jasmine Cephas Jones | Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/jasmine-cephas-jones)
4. [Who Is Jasmine Cephas Jones? All About Ron Cephas Jones' Daughter, TODAY.com](https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/jasmine-cephas-jones-rcna100845)
5. [Jasmine Cephas Jones Grammy Awards and Nominations, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/jasmine-cephas-jones/19106/)
6. [Jasmine Cephas Jones (Actor): Credits, Bio, News & More, Broadway World](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones/)
7. [Jasmine Cephas Jones' Lifelong Journey To 'Phoenix', GRAMMY.com](https://grammy.com/news/jasmine-cephas-jones-interview-debut-album-phoenix)
8. [Jasmine Cephas Jones Joins 'Lanterns' DC Series At HBO, Deadline](https://deadline.com/2025/03/jasmine-cephas-jones-lanterns-dc-series-hbo-1236352659/)
9. [Jones, Jasmine Cephas – LC Linked Data Service, Library of Congress](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2015143079)
10. [About Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ron Cephas Jones' Daughter, NBC](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-is-jasmine-cephas-jones-ron-cephas-jones-daughter)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Jo to Kl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license