"Judging Amy" Costar Drops Suit

E! - May 7, 2002

For a guy who spends a lot of time acting in court, it looks like Judging Amy costar Richard T. Jones doesn't want to deal with the real thing.

The 29-year-old thespian, who plays court services bailiff Bruce Van Exel on the CBS legal drama, has dropped his unusual lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Television that accused producers of reneging on an oral agreement to let him ditch the show if his character wasn't being developed to his liking by the series' second season.

"I am relieved that this matter was worked out between the studio and myself and that there was no need to pursue legal action," Jones said in a statement. "My concern was always the exploration of my creative and artistic freedom-and those issues have been resolved. I'm looking forward to next season."

Money wasn't the issue for Jones, who continued to work on the series despite the pending litigation. It was a matter of principle.

Instead of asking for damages, the actor merely sought a formal writ from a judge allowing him out of his contract so he could pursue other roles he wouldn't be able to take if he stayed on Judging Amy. Unhappy that producers were hardly utilizing his character, he compared his situation on the show to indentured servitude, where he would be required to work 17-hour days and sit through long table readings during his lunch break all for just a few lines an episode.

His suit also cited television shows such as NYPD Blue, which had a history of allowing actors, including Jimmy Smits and Judging Amy's very own Amy Brenneman, out of their contracts if they felt there characters were becoming stale or it was time to move on.

Now that the differences have been settled, Jones will stay on the show for next season. He'll also be appearing in the upcoming films, Phone Booth, G and Moonlight Mile.

Jones' previous tube work included a role in ABC's short-lived series Brooklyn South, as well as a stint on Ally McBeal playing Renée's former high-school sweetheart. Jones' movie credits include The Wood with Omar Epps and Taye Diggs, Kiss the Girls with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, Event Horizon with Laurence Fishburne, and again with Fishburne and Angela Bassett in What's Love Got to Do With It.


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