He’s been a state legislator and a Cuyahoga County commissioner. But his second act has him in fictional roles as a screen neighbor to Tom Hanks and a retired policeman on “Chicago Fire.” Now Peter Lawson Jones is a man confronting multiple crises in “The Last Shop on Walnut.” The Northeast Ohio-made movie premieres Thursday at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights.
"For an independent film shot outside of New York City and L.A., if you want to drag it over the finish line, you have to be prepared to wear multiple hats," Jones said. Along with starring in the film, he’s a co-producer, co-casting director and co-legal counsel. Director Jason Richardson was also the scenic director, music director and wrote the screenplay.
"The script was absolutely compelling ... a beautiful, powerful, important story,” Jones said about playing Marvin Statler. “During a 48-hour period of time, his life changes. There's an arc to his story. And I knew that this role would require me to utilize every tool in my actor's toolkit.”
Statler sees his personal relationships crumbling alongside the neighborhood where he lives and works, until getting a generous offer for his failing business. Yet, Statler “is petrified, terrified about selling the building,” he said.
The movie was shot at Kent State University, Lakeview Cemetery, around Ravenna and also near Youngstown. The script was written with Jones in mind.
He said his careers as a politician and lawyer have “a very clear intersection” with acting.
“What's central is the art of persuasion,” he said. “You have to be able to convince a jury or a judge … of the righteousness of your client's case. If you're a politician, you have to persuade the electorate … that they can comfortably [place] their faith and hopes in you to help create a better community. And as an actor, you have to be able to convince [an audience] that your character is real, that your character matters, that they should invest their time and their energy in getting to know him.”
Jones knew Richardson from their work together on a previous web series. Jones also brought in his longtime friend, an Emmy winner and fellow Shaker Heights native: Kym Whitley (“Animal Practice,” “The Parkers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) stars as Marvin’s love interest.
“You often see Kim portraying the role of the voluptuous, sexpot best friend,” he said. “There's a certain kind of energy that she generally brings to every project. We asked her to bring that vibrant personality, but also some other elements to this film. And she absolutely delivered.”
For the past two decades, Jones has been acting in everything from the Tom Hanks vehicle “A Man Called Otto” to “White Boy Rick” with Matthew McConaughey. His love of writing and performing began in the 1970s, as a Harvard undergrad. During his senior year, the college produced his first play, “The Family Line.” He didn’t return to showbiz until decades later, while serving as a Karamu House board member. Then-artistic director Terrence Spivey noticed Jones’ enthusiasm for theater.
“What I thought had long been extinguished … returning to the stage, performing, I realized had been rekindled,” he said. “So, I auditioned for a play that Terrence was directing, was cast in the role and things just kind of took off from there.”
The latest stop in his career is the premiere of “The Last Shop on Walnut.” Thursday’s event concludes with a talkback session featuring Jones, Richardson and Whitley. The film runs at the Cedar Lee for at least a week and has its Los Angeles premiere on June 3.
