# Sam J. Jones
**Sam J. Jones** (born 1954) is an American actor best known for playing the title role in the cult science-fiction film *[Flash Gordon](https://www.edgepedia.org/flash-gordon-film)* (1980). He began as a model after service in the [United States Marine Corps](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-marine-corps), made his screen debut in [Blake Edwards](https://www.edgepedia.org/blake-edwards)' comedy *10* (1979), and later worked mainly in television roles, returning to wide attention with cameo appearances as a version of himself in *Ted* (2012) and *Ted 2* (2015).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954, Chicago, Illinois; grew up in Sacramento, California, and attended Mira Loma High School[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones) |
| Military service | United States Marine Corps[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/) |
| Screen debut | David Hanley in Blake Edwards' *10* (1979, Warner Bros.)[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones) |
| Signature role | Flash Gordon in *Flash Gordon* (1980, Universal)[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones) |
| Early television | Starred as Chris Rorchek in Irwin Allen's series *Code Red* (1981)[3](https://www.actordatabase.com/samjones/) |
| Later notable TV | Aris Boch in *Stargate SG-1* (1997); Krebb in *Flash Gordon: A Modern Space Opera* (2007)[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/sam-j-jones/) |
| Comedy cameos | Played a version of himself in *Ted* (2012) and *Ted 2* (2015)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/) |
| Documentary subject | *Life After Flash* (2017, dir. Lisa Downs), about the film's cult following and Jones's life; 90% audience and 85% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes[5](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1007866-sam_jones) |
## Early life and path to acting
Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954 and grew up in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california), where he was educated at Mira Loma High School before serving in the United States Marine Corps.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/) A biographical profile in *Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television* records his original name as Andrew J. Cooper III and lists modeling, cooking, and bouncing among the jobs he held before acting; it also states that he reportedly appeared as a centerfold in *Playgirl* in 1975 under his original name.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones) Other databases give his full name as Samuel Gerald Jones, a discrepancy between sources that remains unresolved.[7](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Sam%2BJ.%2BJones-53955/biography) A 2020 *Big Issue* interview described his career arc as marine-turned-model-turned-actor, and reported that alongside acting he has worked chaperoning VIPs between southern California and Tijuana.[8](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/flash-gordon-times-gone-by-in-a-flash-for-sam-j-jones/)
## Flash Gordon (1980)
After his debut as David Hanley in *10* (1979), Jones was cast in the title role of *Flash Gordon*, Universal's 1980 adaptation of the [Alex Raymond](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-raymond) comic-strip hero.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones) The film was directed by [Mike Hodges](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-hodges) and co-starred [Timothy Dalton](https://www.edgepedia.org/timothy-dalton), Max von Sydow, and Chaim Topol, with a soundtrack by Queen.[5](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan) It performed modestly on release but later acquired a durable cult following: by the 2010s it was endorsed by directors such as Edgar Wright and recycled as comedy material in films including *Blades of Glory* (2007) and *Ted* (2012).[5](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan) Jones's portrayal is described by one retrospective writer as an essential part of why the film still works, with the cast playing the camp material largely straight.[5](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan) In a 2020 interview marking the film's 40th anniversary, Jones said the character's qualities, which he described as a never-say-die attitude and righteousness, had become part of how he presents himself in public life.[8](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/flash-gordon-times-gone-by-in-a-flash-for-sam-j-jones/)
## Television and film career
A mostly television career followed *Flash Gordon*. Jones starred as Chris Rorchek in [Irwin Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/irwin-allen)'s series *Code Red* (1981) early on, and his television film and series credits from the 1980s include *Stunts Unlimited* (1980), *No Man's Land* (1984), *The Highwayman* (1987), and *The Spirit* (1987).[3](https://www.actordatabase.com/samjones/) Genre and action roles recurred through the 1990s and 2000s: he played Aris Boch in *Stargate SG-1* (1997), Space Case in *Black Scorpion* (2001), and Krebb in the 2007 series *Flash Gordon: A Modern Space Opera*, returning to the franchise that made his name in a different part.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/person/sam-j-jones/) His filmography lists 87 acting credits, with recent appearances including *Surge of Power: Where There's Smoke* (2024).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/)
**Return to attention.** Jones came back to moviegoers' attention through self-referential comedy, appearing as a version of himself in [Seth MacFarlane](https://www.edgepedia.org/seth-macfarlane)'s *Ted* (2012) and *Ted 2* (2015).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/) The documentary *Life After Flash*, directed by Lisa Downs, followed in 2017, examining the film's cult following and Jones's life after the role; Rotten Tomatoes records it as his highest-rated screen credit at 90 percent with audiences and 85 percent with critics.[5](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1007866-sam_jones) He has also been a long-standing presence at fan conventions, where the film's anniversary events have drawn appearances by the actor decades after its release.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1007866-sam_jones)
## Namesakes
The name [Sam Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-jones) attaches to several other public figures, and databases routinely distinguish them. The English rock musician Sam Jones, who performs with the Polish-based band Angry Town and under the moniker Samuel Thomas Jones, maintains a separate discography of Bandcamp and [SoundCloud](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundcloud) releases.[9](https://samjonesofficial.net/releases/) The English composer Sam Jones, based in Cheshire and resident composer for the production company Rusty Quill, works on orchestral scoring for film, television, and podcasts including *The Magnus Archives*.[10](https://samjones.net/about) The filmmaker Sam B. Jones, based in New York, directed the documentary feature *Red, White & Wasted*.[11](https://www.sambjones.com/) The photographer and director Sam Jones created and hosted the interview series *Off Camera* on DirecTV's Audience Network from 2013 to 2020.[12](https://www.samjonespictures.com/About/1/) None of these is the actor covered in this article.
## References
1. [Sam J. Jones (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429207/)
2. [Jones, Sam 1954– (Sam J. Jones), Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television via Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jones-sam-1954-sam-j-jones)
3. [Sam J. Jones, Actor Database](https://www.actordatabase.com/samjones/)
4. [Sam J. Jones, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/sam-j-jones/)
5. [How FLASH GORDON and Sam J. Jones turned me into a movie fan, Moviejawn](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2021/11/27/how-flash-gordan-and-sam-j-jones-turned-me-into-a-movie-fan)
6. [Sam Jones Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1007866-sam_jones)
7. [Sam J. Jones (I) Bio, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Sam%2BJ.%2BJones-53955/biography)
8. [Flash Gordon: Time's gone by in a flash for Sam J Jones, The Big Issue](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/flash-gordon-times-gone-by-in-a-flash-for-sam-j-jones/)
9. [Releases, Sam Jones official site](https://samjonesofficial.net/releases/)
10. [About, Sam Jones, composer](https://samjones.net/about)
11. [Sam B. Jones, official site](https://www.sambjones.com/)
12. [Bio, Sam Jones (Off Camera)](https://www.samjonespictures.com/About/1/)
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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: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames I to Kh*
*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