L.Q. Jones (born August 19, 1927) is an American character actor and film director, known for his work in the films of Sam Peckinpah.

Jones was born Justus Ellis McQueen in Beaumont, Texas, the son of Jessie Paralee (née Stephens) and Justice Ellis McQueen, who was a railroad worker.[1] He made his film debut in 1955's Battle Cry, with Van Heflin, under his birth name. His character was named L.Q. Jones, and when it was suggested to him by film producers that he change his screen name for future pictures, he decided that the name of his debut character would be a memorable one.

Jones appeared in numerous memorable films in the 1960s and 1970s. He became a member of Sam Peckinpah's stock company of actors, appearing in his Klondike television series (1960-1961), Ride the High Country (1962), Major Dundee (1965), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid (1973). He was frequently cast alongside his close friend, Strother Martin, most memorably in The Wild Bunch. Jones also appeared in television, as recurring characters on such western programs as Cheyenne (1955), Gunsmoke (1955), Laramie, Two Faces West (1960-1961), and The Virginian (1962). He was cast once in the syndicated military drama Men of Annapolis.

He directed, was the executive producer, and adapted the screenplay for A Boy and His Dog (1975), with Don Johnson and Jason Robards. Other films include The Naked and the Dead (1958), Flaming Star (1960), Cimarron (1960), Hell Is for Heroes (1962), Hang 'Em High (1968), Stay Away, Joe (1968), The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) (which he co-produced and wrote, and cast Strother Martin again in the lead role), Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), Casino (1995), The Edge (1997), The Mask of Zorro (1998), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006). Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.