Who is Duncan Jones? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Duncan Zowie Jones

Age: 52 Years, 52 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Rodene Ronquillo (m. 2012)

father: David Bowie

mother: Angela Bowie

siblings: Alexandria Zahra Jones, Stacia Larranna Celeste Lipka, Zulekha Haywood

children: Stenton David Jones

Directors British Men

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Males

More Facts

education: College of Wooster (1995), Commonwealth-American School, Gordonstoun, London Film School, Vanderbilt University

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Childhood & Early Life

Duncan Jones was born on 30 May, 1971, in Bromley, London. He is the only child of the famous singer David Bowie and his first wife, Angela, who is a Cypriot-born American former model. His birth inspired his father to write the songs ‘Kooks’ and ‘Oh! Pretty Things’ which were featured on his 1971 album, ‘Hunky Dory.’

Jones’ childhood was spent in different places like London, Berlin, Vevey and Switzerland. He went to Commonwealth American School (now International School of Lausanne) for his first and second grade.

In February 1980, his parents got divorced and David Bowie was given the custody of nine-year-old Jones. He used to visit his mother on school holidays but ended his relationship with her at the age of 13. They are still estranged.

Jones’ original name was Zowie, but when he was 12 he decided that he preferred the name ‘Joey’. He used the name Joey until it was shortened to ‘Joe’ in his teens. In 1992, it was reported by the press that he went by name ‘Joe’ at his father’s wedding to Iman. At the age of 18, he went back to his birth name.

He graduated from College of Wooster with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in the year 1995. Furthermore, he went on to pursue PhD degree at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. But he decided to leave the course in between to join London Film School. In 2001, he graduated from London Film School as a director.

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Career

Duncan Jones started his career in an odd way when he played the role of a cameraman at his father David Bowie’s 50th birthday party which was widely televised and was partly directed by Englishman Tim Pope at Madison Square Garden in 1997.

Jones helped out his father again when he donned the role of cameraman at two BowieNet concerts at Roseland Ballroom in New York City in 2000. For the computer game ‘Republic: The Revolution’ he performed the task of an in-game cinematics director, and also scripted the elements of the game.

In 2006, Jones directed a campaign for the French Connection fashion label. They came up with concept of ‘Fashion v/s Style’ which was to re-invent the brand of FCUK and move away from its old style which style pundits believed had become overused and worn-out.

The advert came out on 20 February 2006 which showed two women (representing fashion and style) fighting and also kissing each other. The advertisement wasn’t well received and caused trouble by generating 127 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

Jones’ groundbreaking work was his first feature film ‘Moon’ (2009) which was a science fiction drama. The film was a financial success and well received by critics. The scientific community also acknowledged the film and the efforts the makers had put into it. The film was screened at NASA’s Space Center Houston as a part of a lecture series. The film was nominated for many awards and it won many for the debut director, Jones.

Jones directed a science-fiction thriller ‘Source Code’ for Vendome Pictures. The film was produced by Mark Gordon and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in USA on 26 July 2011.

He made an announcement in 2013 that he would be directing the ‘Warcraft’ film adaptation based on the video game series of the same name. The film was released in summer 2016.

After ‘Warcraft,’ Duncan Jones decided to make another science fiction thriller ‘Mute’ starring Emmy award winner, Alexander Skarsgard and Paul Rudd. Jones had been planning on making this project from a long time. It is inspired by his favourite movie ‘Blade Runner’ and often described as a ‘spiritual sequel’ to ‘Moon’.

The film will be set in Berlin forty years in the future and will involve a mute bartender interrogating the disappearance of his partner. On 28 September 2016, Jones started the filming as per his tweet. Liberty Films UK gave a confirmation that principal photography of the film had begun. The movie is set for a 2018 release.

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Major Works

Duncan Jones directed his first feature film ‘Moon’ in 2009 and made his mark as a director. The film was premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was initially released only in selected cinemas. Later it was also released in additional theatres in US, UK, and Toronto. The film was extremely successful and its sequel is in progress presently. Jones won the BAFTA award, Writer’s Guild Award, ALFS award and many others for this movie.

Awards & Achievements

Duncan Jones won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for ‘Moon’ (2009). He also won the Douglas Hickox Award at British Independent Film Awards and Golden Athena Award at Athens International Film Festival for the same movie.

Jones won the Best New British Feature at Edinburgh International Film Festival for ‘Moon’. Also, he received the Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold at Espoo Cine International Film Festival for ‘Moon’ which he shared with Stuart Fenegan.

Additionally, he won the Critics Award and the Special Jury Prize for ‘Moon’ at Gerardmer Film Festival. In 2010, he won ALFS Award for Breakthrough British Film-maker and also a Spotlight Award.

He won the Writes’ Guild of Great Britain Award for Best First Feature-Length Film Screenplay for ‘Moon’ which he shared with Nathan Parker.

Personal Life

On 28 June, 2012, Duncan Jones made an announcement of his engagement with his photographer girlfriend, Rodene Ronquillo. A few months later, Ronquillo was diagnosed with breast cancer and the couple hastily decided to get married the same day. Since then, they both have taken initiative to raise awareness about the disease.

In February 2016, the couple announced on social media that they were expecting their first child. Their son Stenton David Jones was born on 10 July 2016. On October 1, 2017, the couple announced that they were expecting their second child, a baby girl.

Jones has a few half-siblings. He is a half-brother to Alexandria ‘Lexi’ Jones who is the daughter of David Bowie and his second wife, Iman. He is also a half-brother to Stacia Larranna Celeste Lipka who is his mother’s daughter from her relationship with musician Drew Blood. Zulekha Haywood, who is the daughter of Jones’ stepmother Iman and her second husband, is his stepsister.

Trivia

Duncan Jones is an avid gamer.

He hasn’t spoken to his mother after he learned that she gave up his custody for $750,000 in a settlement deal while divorcing his father, David Bowie.

Duncan Jones Biography