Years of throwing the shot put and professional arm wrestling left California State University, Fresno, grad Dot-Marie Jones with a bum right shoulder. It got so bad, Jones was scheduled to have surgery in January to place a metal cap on her humerus.
She canceled the hospital visit when her hand started to itch.
“Every time my palm itches I book a job,” Jones says. “It was driving me nuts, so I knew I needed to postpone the surgery.” Two days later, she was cast in an episode of the cable series “Hawthorne,” which turned into a five-episode arc. While shooting the series, Jones got a call from her agent: Ryan Murphy, the man behind “Glee,” wanting to know if she would be available in mid-July.
Murphy, who previously cast Jones in “Nip/Tuck” and the TV pilot “Pretty Handsome,” wanted Jones for a recurring role on his Fox series “Glee.” She was cast as Coach Shannon Beiste, who takes over McKinley High’s football team when Coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher) has a nervous breakdown.
“They guaranteed me I would be in five of the first 13 episodes, and I’ve already been in six of the nine shows shot for this year.
Last week, she had a big story line with another local: Clovis East High School grad Chris Colfer.
“I had heard Chris was from Clovis,” Jones says. “When I told him I went to Fresno State, he was excited.” Jones transferred to Fresno State in 1984 after spending two years at Modesto Jr. College. She’d been out of high school only a year when she won her first arm-wrestling competition. The 6-foot-4 Jones went on to be a 15-time world and six-time national arm-wrestling champion.
She got involved in acting after meeting Shirley Eson, who played Sky on “American Gladiators,” and auditioned for the 1992 competition series “Knights and Warriors.” Soon, Jones was facing down competitors as Lady Battleaxe.
As for “Glee,” there was never a question of whether Jones could handle the acting part. The big question was her musical skills.
“I can sing,” Jones says with a laugh. “I’m no Mariah Carey, but I can carry a tune.” She’s been told Coach Beiste will have to belt out a number sometime this season.
Singing or not, Jones considers the “Glee” role one of the best she’s ever had.
“I was so happy to get a character with so much depth. She’s tough on the outside but has this huge emotional heart. It’s really a fantastic role,” Jones says.
“I think what happens with this character is going to surprise a lot of people. I know I’m the luckiest person in (Hollywood) because there are 5,000 behind me waiting to get a role like this and behind them are 5,000 more.”
