Dot Jones

Dorothy-Marie "Dot" Jones (born January 4, 1964) is an American actress and retired athlete who has had multiple roles in television. She attended California State University, Fresno, where she set records for shot put.[1] Jones is also a 15-time world arm wrestling champion.[2] She was a recurring guest star starting in the second season of the musical television series Glee as Coach Beiste, and appeared through the show's sixth and final season, when she was promoted to starring status. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011, 2012, and 2013 for her portrayal of Coach Beiste.[3]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Acting career 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 References 6 External links

Early life
Jones was born in 1964 and was raised in Hilmar, California. She first got involved in strength competitions at a fairly young age. She started track in middle school. While Jones attended Hilmar High School, she was a champion weight lifter and named female athlete of the year. She started arm wrestling on a whim, and won her first arm wrestling world championship at 19 years old and went on to win 14 more.[2][4][5]

After graduating from Hilmar High School,[6] Jones attended Modesto Junior College and Fresno State, where she continued her involvement with sports. She earned a scholarship in track which paid her way through junior college and university.[4] Jones played softball and competed in shot put and powerlifting.[2] She won All-America honors in shot put both at junior college and university, was state champion in 1983 and 1984 and set the national record at the junior college level from 1983 to 1990.[1][4][7] Jones qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1988 for shot put with a 56 ft 6 1⁄4 in (17.23 m) throw, surpassing the qualifying mark of 55 ft (17 m).[8] She finished sixth.[4] During her sporting career, she suffered 11 knee injuries, bringing her height of 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) down to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).[9] After college, Jones worked as a youth counselor at the Fresno County Juvenile Probation center while continuing her involvement with sports.[4]

Acting career
Jones, who had no intentions of acting,[2] was discovered at a bodybuilding competition by Shirley Eson of American Gladiators fame.[5] Eson urged Jones to audition for the Gladiators-like Knights and Warriors, and Jones got the part, becoming one of the few female warriors. Jones was also offered a position in professional wrestling, but turned it down because, she said it was "too fakey".[7]

Knights and Warriors only lasted one season, but Jones' acting career was just starting. She became a bit actor, playing small roles in several television series throughout the 1990s and 2000s and breaking into feature films in the late 1990s, including the cult film "The Boondock Saints". While acting, Jones kept up her involvement with arm wrestling. In 1995, her biceps measured 17 1⁄2 in (44.45 cm).[10]

Jones' first recurring role after Knights was as a character named "Dot" on the popular show Married... with Children in the mid-90s. She appeared in five episodes over two seasons. Jones' next break was on the kids show Lizzie McGuire as Coach Kelly. Since then, she has appeared in popular shows Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, and Prison Break.

Jones, being a fan of Glee and having worked with series co-creator Ryan Murphy on Nip/Tuck and Pretty/Handsome, asked co-executive producer Brad Falchuk during an encounter at a supermarket if she could be on the show.[2] Soon after, the character of Coach Shannon Beiste (later Sheldon) in Glee was created for her. She guest starred in seasons two, three, four, and five, and was a main cast member for the sixth and the final season.

Jones appeared on Logo TV's RuPaul's Drag U as a visiting professor in July 2011, during the second season.[11]

Personal life
Jones is openly lesbian and married Bridgett Casteen on December 21, 2013.[12] The two first met in December 2010 and Jones proposed on October 4, 2013, during Anaheim Gay Days.[13]

Filmography
Film

Year

Film

Role

Notes

1998 Patch Adams Miss Meat 1999 The Boondock Saints Rosengurtle Baumgartener 2002 Stray Dogs Jolene Carter 2006 Material Girls Butch Brenda 2009 Prison Break: The Final Break Skittlez Television movie 2011 Bad Teacher Pill-Providing Lady Uncredited 2013 White T Thelma 2014 Muffin Top: A Love Story Christina

Television

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1992 Knights and Warriors Lady Battleaxe Unknown episodes 1994 Full House Muscular woman Episode: "I've Got a Secret" 1994 Married... with Children Lola Episode: "Kelly Breaks Out" 1994–1995 Married... with Children Dot 4 episodes 1995 Can't Hurry Love Cleo Episode: "Glove Story" 1995 In the House Dot Episode: "Kindergarten Doc" 1995 Boston Common Jocelyn Episode: "The Finals Curtain" 1997 Roseanne Black Widow Episode: "Roseanne-Feld" 1998 Tracey Takes On... Female golfer Episode: "Religion" 1998 Dharma & Greg Hey-19 Episode: "Invasion of the Buddy Snatcher" 1998 Cybill Suspect #5 Episode: "Daddy" 2000 Chicago Hope Death Angel Episode: "Cold Hearts" 2001–2003 Lizzie McGuire Coach Kelly 5 episodes 2002 She Spies Leon Episode: "Perilyzed" 2004 My Wife and Kids Toni 2 episodes 2005 My Wife and Kids Nurse Tiffany Episode: "The 'V' Story" 2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Gretel Episode: "Bowling" 2006 Reba Dot Episode: "Let's Get Physical" 2007 George Lopez The Inmate 2 episodes 2008 iCarly Prison guard Episode: "iChristmas" 2008 According to Jim Betty Episode: "Cabin Boys" 2009 Nip/Tuck Tess 3 episodes 2009 Desperate Housewives Prison guard Episode: "Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know" 2009 The Mentalist Airport Manager Episode: "Carnelian, Inc." 2009 Prison Break Skittlez 2 episodes 2009 10 Things I Hate About You Lunch Lady Episode: "Meat is Murder" 2009 Scare Tactics Dot 2 episodes 2010 Cougar Town Mugger Episode: "What Are You Doing In My Life?" 2010 HawthoRNe Dot 4 episodes 2010–2015 Glee Shannon Beiste 34 episodes Main cast (season 6) Recurring cast (seasons 2–5) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2011–13) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2011–12) 2010–2012 Venice: The Series Stella 24 episodes 2011 RuPaul's Drag U Herself Episode: "Lesbians Gone Wild" 2011 The Glee Project Herself 2 episodes 2012 Are You There, Chelsea? Patty Episode: "Pilot" 2012 The Pyramid Herself 5 episodes 2012 The Penguins of Madagascar Supervisor Eubanks Episode: "Smotherly Love" 2012 The Exes Woman #3 Episode: "Sister Act" 2012 Celebrity Ghost Stories Herself Episode: "Victoria Rowell/Dot Jones/Carlos Mencia/Linda Blair" 2012–2013 Have You Met Miss Jones? Miss Lolly 4 episodes 2014 Baby Daddy Masha Episode: "An Affair Not to Remember" 2014 The Haunting of... Herself Episode: Dot Jones 2015 Doc McStuffins Coach Kay Episode: Getting to the Heart of Things 2015 Clipped Dottie Episode: Mo's Ma