Sam J. Jones is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies and shows during the last 45 years. But for some, he will always be best known for one of his earliest roles: playing the lead role in the 1980 cult classic movie, Flash Gordon. Since then, he has rarely been out of work and his other major credits include the title character of the 1987 NBC series, The Highwayman, and playing himself in the Seth Macfarlane movies Ted and Ted 2. His most recent roles include films such as Roswell Delirium and An Unlikely Angel.

Jones was born in Chicago, and after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. A keen footballer, he played for the Marines team and hoped to turn pro with the Seattle Seahawks, but this dream never came true. Instead, he began taking on modelling jobs to support himself, which led to appearances in television commercials, which led to Jones moving to L.A., which led to a small part in the 1979 rom-com Ten, which became one of the biggest movies of that year. Thanks to this, Jones was cast as the titular character of 1980’s Flash Gordon, beating both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kurt Russell to the role. The state-of-the-art “space opera” film was a commercial success and has since become a cult classic to millions of sci-fi fans.

Flash Gordon launched Jones’ acting career, and he has been a regular presence on movie screens and American television ever since.