LILY RESLINK
Staff Writer
Peter Lawson Jones joined in a conversation with longtime Chautauquan Jane Campbell about his life, the influence of his trailblazing family, his draw to a diverse range of “performance” roles and spirituality’s guidance through it all.
At any chapter of life, Jones said it is important for humans to understand the influence they can have, even in later chapters of life “when there’s less of it to waste.”
This became a theme of the conversation that took part as a part of the Interfaith Lecture Series at 2 p.m. Monday in the Hall of Philosophy.
The two spoke about their connections to each other, gratitude for their families and their admiration toward one another’s families. Campbell is the former mayor of Cleveland — the only female mayor of the city to date — and the daughter of former Director of Religion Joan Brown Campbell.
“When I met Peter, we were both in seventh grade,” Campbell said.
Campbell first asked Jones about his experience as a pioneering African American public figure who was parented by equally pioneering parents who had passionate dreams for him.
“I always want to say, ‘Whatever good I’ve done, I owe it to my parents. Anything bad I may have done, I figured that all out on my own,’” Jones said.
Jones referenced a quote he read weeks ago: “It said, ‘Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve. Grace is what you get when you don’t deserve it, but you still get it.’ I’ve had a tremendous amount of grace in my life, and it all started with my two parents, Charles and Margaret Jones.”
Jones said he watched his mother, a teacher, go above and beyond to ensure her students were cared for by offering them food, clothes and a place to stay in their own home when they needed. His dad, he said, was a Tuskegee Airman who also played on the Negro league’s New York Eagles baseball team for a summer. Jones said his parents empowered faith practices early on in his life by fostering a mindset of working hard. In this mentality, he said, he knew things would work out for him if he worked hard and treated people well.
“To this day, my mom and dad are my hero and she-ro,” Jones said.
He explained how viewing his parents as trailblazers in their commitment to education led him to attend and graduate from Harvard Law.
Campbell asked Jones to share why he got into politics, what he feels he has accomplished within his political roles and what has frustrated him most in politics.
As a child, Jones said he wanted to be a baseball player, an actor and a politician because he was drawn to the excitement of careers.
Jones’ first career, as a lawyer, began his string of roles that were all characterized by his ability to earn trust. From lawyer to elected official, Jones said what he loved most about serving in public office was that “with a phone call or with the stroke of a pen,” he could do something to improve lives. He said he is proud of passing seven pieces of substantial legislation, including bills that strengthened anti-stalking laws and reduced taxes for Habitat for Humanity.
Jones named two things he did not like from his career in politics: “hyper-partisanship” and “petty ego.” He said if he could change two things, it would be the requirement of “fair redistricting” and “public financing of campaigns.” He said he thinks those changes would give the U.S. politics and government that “we could be proud of.”
Campbell asked Jones about his pivot from politics and public service to the realm of acting, to which he pointed out both roles’ common denominator: “the art of persuasion.”
“[Jones’] first performance activity was to get into politics,” Campbell said, and asked, “Shall we say there’s performative aspects of politics?” Jones responded, “Today, all too much.”
He said his entry to acting “came about serendipitously.”
Jones said there is no guarantee of success when one decides to enter politics. He said while “there are far more losing candidates than winning candidates,” these odds worsen exponentially for acting.
His first entry to the field of acting, he said, was accidental. After agreeing to help his roommate run lines, Jones said he was offered a part in the play. After college, he said it took about 30 years to circle back to an acting career.
With an unconventional start, he said his acting career grew from dedication to networking. Jones encapsulated his journey with the quote, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
He also spoke about working with an actor as experienced as Tom Hanks, which he said often left him in disbelief during the moments they were sharing a set. “I tell people: ‘I used to be Peter Lawson Jones. Then I became Lisa Payne Jones’ husband. Then I became a dad. Now, I am Tom Hanks’ friend.’ These are the roles that I have played in life,” Jones said.
Before concluding, Campbell also gave Jones the opportunity to speak about what it means to him to become a grandfather, which is a role he holds with honor. Campbell told the audience to “stay tuned,” because “who knows what adventures Peter is on to next?”
Jones and Campbell discussed what it means for Jones to be in his “third act”; he completed this point in the Q-and-A session where, given the common denominator of persuasion and difference-making he sees among his roles, he reflected on his continued capacity to maintain relevance and build legacy.
“Until my last breath, to the extent that God empowers me to do so, I’m going to be trying to do and achieve something, unlock a new door and just enjoy this miracle that we’ve all granted, this one out of four quadrillion chance of life, and ride it to its bitter end,” Jones said.
