Biography for
Anissa Jones More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

11 March 1958, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Date of Death

28 August 1976, Oceanside, California, USA (drug overdose)

Birth Name

Mary Anissa Jones

Height

4' 11" (1.50 m)

Trade Mark

Curly Pigtails

Trivia

Attended Orville Wright Junior High School.

Attended Westchester High School from 1973-1976.

Had a brother who died from a drug overdose in 1984.

Tried out for the role of Regan in The Exorcist (1973), but lost out to Linda Blair.

Briefly worked at a Winchell's donut shop in Playa del Rey, where she grew up.

Attended Paseo Del Rey Grammar School.

Her fatal overdose was of a combination of cocaine, angel dust, Quaaludes and Seconal. The San Diego County coroner said it was one of the most severe cases of drug overdose ever seen in San Diego County.

Her name, Anissa, was Lebanese for 'little friend'.

Her death is the subject of the song, "Buffy's Dead."

The Diodes, a Toronto band from the 1970s, had a song about her called "Child Star" (also released as a single, the flip side of "I'm Tired of Feeling Tired"). The chorus goes: "Uncle Bill/Uncle Bill/I took some pills/Mr. French/Mr. French/I'm feeling tense".

Was considered for the role of Violet in Pretty Baby (1978) but she died before auditions began. Brooke Shields eventually was cast as Violet and became a controversial movie star.

Was offered the role of Iris in Taxi Driver (1976). The part went to Jodie Foster.

Personal Quotes

"Shooting is work. I like going to my own school better. I see my friends there."

"I can read...except for a very big word we sometimes have. Like the word philosopher. Do you know what a philosopher is? Well...it's a man that thinks a lot, but doesn't do anything much about it."

On acting: "I don't know. I just do it. I don't think about it."

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