Western Actor, 'A Boy and His Dog' Director L.Q. Jones Dies at 94

Western actor L.Q. Jones, whose late-career direction of "A Boy and His Dog" earned him a cult hit, died Saturday of natural causes. He was 94.

THR reports he died in his Hollywood Hills home.

John Cusack was among the filmmakers honoring Jones, tweeting, "Got to work with this great actor  Which was an honor for me -  I so admired him. Such  a great guy - RiP."

Born August 19, 1927, in Beaumont, Texas, he made his film debut in 1955's "Battle Cry," the first of countless westerns on his 50-year résumé.

Most prominently as an actor, Jones became a part of director Sam Peckinpah's troupe, appearing in several of his films, including "Ride the High Country" (1962) and his classic revisionist western "The Wild Bunch" (1969).

On TV, he was a familiar face on such shows as "Laramie" (1959-1963), "Wagon Train" (1959-1964), "The Rebel" (1960), "The Rifleman" (1962), "Rawhide" (1963-1965), "Charlie's Angels" (1976-1980), "Columbo" (1978), and "The Yellow Rose" (1983-1984).

Having directed the low-budget "The Devil's Bedroom" (1964) under the name Justus McQueen, he wrote, produced, and directed "A Boy and His Dog," a 1975 sci-fi film that takes place in a post-apocalyptic U.S. Starring a young Don Johnson, the film — adapted from a Harlan Ellison story — did not make money at the box office and garnered mixed-to-positive reviews, but over time, it has become a highly regarded and influential entry in the genre.

George Miller has cited the film as an influence on his "Mad Max" series.

In spite of the momentum the film gave Jones, and the offers to direct other projects that it brought, he opted never to direct another.

He continued acting until 2006. Some of his other films include "Hang 'em High" (1968), in which he places a noose around Clint Eastwood's neck, and hits like "White Line Fever" (1975), "Mother, Jugs & Speed" (1976), and Robert Altman's last work, "A Prairie Home Companion" (2006).