She's also a great singer IRL.
The acronym “CODA” stands for “Child Of Deaf Adults,” with the implication that the child does not have a hearing impairment while their family does. It’s also the title of one of the biggest indie films of 2021, a coming-of-age comedy drama from Sian Heder. The movie is an English-language remake of the 2014’s La Famille Bélier, reset in Massachusetts, starring Emilia Jones as Ruby, the CODA of her family. If you were intrigued by Emilia Jones’ performance in CODA and want to know more, look no further.
CODA has been a massive hit since its Sundance premiere in 2021, landing the U.S. Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, and a Special Jury Ensemble Cast Award. After the rave reviews out of Sundance, Apple TV+ picked up the film for distribution, releasing it in theaters in August 2021.
One of the critical parts of CODA is that it is a truly inclusive movie, with character who have hearing impairments played by actors with hearing impairments. Troy Kotsur (The Mandalorian) and Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) play Ruby’s parents, and Daniel Durant (You) co-stars her brother Leo. Emilia Jones landed the role of Ruby and spent months learning American Sign Language for the role.
Here are some other facts about Jones that fans should know.
Emilia Jones Started Acting At Age 8
Jones’ first role was at the age of eight, as Jasmine in the film One Day. She then landed the role of Alice in the U.K.’s version of Utopia, followed by a guest star stint as Queen of Years Merry Gejelh in the Doctor Who episode “The Rings of Akhaten.”
She Co-Starred With Tom Holland In 2015
Before either Emilia Jones or Tom Holland were on the big screen or household names, they co-starred as teenage characters in the BBC’s acclaimed 2015 series, Wolf Hall. Though they didn’t interact onscreen, it’s enough to make people hope she lands a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day.
She’s Sung On Multiple Soundtracks
The daughter of Aled Jones, who was a U.K. teen heartthrob in the 1980s, Emilia Jones is also a trained singer. Her singing ability led to her starring as Young Fiona in Drury Lane’s Shrek the Musical in the West End. Her role in Doctor Who came with the main vocal on “The Long Song” on the Season 7 soundtrack from the episode she guest-starred on. She also had tracks on the U.K. hit series Horrible Histories (the same people behind Ghosts). And, of course, she’s now part of the CODA soundtrack as well.
Her Breakthrough Came In Netflix’s Locke & Key
Jones’ big breakthrough for American audiences was when she was cast as Kinsey Locke, one of the main characters in the Netflix fantasy drama series Locke & Key. The series has already streamed two seasons, with a third heading this way later in 2022.
She’s Already Won 4 Awards for CODA
CODA has turned Jones from a science fiction and fantasy actor into an award-winning indie star. So far, she’s racked up four wins for her role as Ruby. They include Breakthrough Performer at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, the Best Breakthrough Performance for Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Breakthrough Artist at the San Diego Film Critics Society, and Best Youth Performance at the Seattle Film Critics Society. With a Screen Actors Guild award possible as part of CODA’s Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination, things can only go up.
CODA is streaming on AppleTV+.
