Rashida Jones is one of the most celebrated actresses and filmmakers who has built a successful career. Jones has followed in the footsteps of her famous parents and has worked on many impressive projects during her career in showbiz. The actress was raised by famous parents: her mother, Peggy Lipton, was an actress and model who tragically passed away in May 2019 at the age of 72, and her father, Quincy Jones, is a renowned music producer and composer.
Their illustrious careers and accomplishments in the entertainment industry helped shape Rashida’s creative journey and inspire her work in acting and beyond. Below, we find out more about Rashida Jones’ parents, Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones, and their remarkable careers.
Rashida Jones’ parents, Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones, first met in the Bahamas
Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones first met on a friend’s boat in the Bahamas in 1969, according to The Guardian’s May 2019 obituary of Lipton. They began dating two years later, and according to a 2001 episode of American Masters, Quincy moved in with Peggy just two weeks after beginning their relationship.
According to People magazine, in a previous interview with the show, the late actress had revealed that she was nearing the end of her work on The Mod Squad series and was ready to begin a new chapter in her life when she reunited with her then-partner.
According to the outlet, she said, “I was living a very lonely life until I had Quincy.” Lipton explained how his presence brought a sense of security and affection into her life, noting, “No matter what I did or how I behaved, there would always be a loving person to call me and say it’s okay. I love you just the way you are.”
Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones have two children
Jones’ parents married on September 14, 1974, and welcomed two children during their marriage. Their first daughter, Kidada Jones, was born in March 1974, and Rashida Jones was born on February 25, 1976. They raised their daughters in Bel Air, California. Kidada went to the Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and later contributed to her sister Quincy’s magazine Vibe, as reported in People magazine.
The Parks and Recreation star’s parents divorced when she was a child
After being married for over a decade, Lipton and Quincy Jones divorced in 1990. At the time of the separation, Rashida Jones was 10 years old and her sister was 12. After the separation, she reportedly lived with her mother while Kidada lived with her father Quincy, as mentioned in her last Oprah interview. Despite the divorce, the former couple maintained a friendly relationship.
Rashida Jones reunites with her late mother, Peggy Lipton
Peggy Lipton appeared in numerous television series and films in her celebrated career, such as When in Rome, Bewitched, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and The Mod Squad. The late actress was also deeply involved in helping her daughters in their career endeavors.
In a 2009 interview with Oprah.com, Rashida Jones explained how her mother worked with her before every audition, saying, “She gave me perspective, and she let me cry when things didn’t go my way — which, when you’re an actress, can happen often.”
In 2002, the mother-daughter duo collaborated on the drama Pitching to the Star. According to the previously mentioned magazine, Lipton also starred alongside her daughter in the TBS sitcom Angie Tribeca, where she played her on-screen mother.
Also read: ‘He was right’: Rashida Jones reveals what advice dad Quincy Jones gave her about being a nepo-baby
Rashida Jones’ mother passed away in 2019
Peggy Lipton died on May 11, 2019, at the age of 72, and a few months later, her daughter Rashida Jones announced the birth of her son, Isaiah, with her partner Ezra Koenig. In a previous interview with NPR, the Monogamy actress talked about the emotional challenges of becoming a new mom, as well as grieving her own loss.
She described the experience as incredibly intense, saying she felt like she was in “grief shock”, adding, “I wasn’t in my body at all, and I’d just had a baby. I wasn’t in my body at all.”
According to the magazine, when Peggy Lipton died, her ex-husband Quincy Jones paid tribute to her on X. He shared an old photo of her and wrote that no words can fully express “how sad I am after losing my beloved Peggy Lipton. She was my wife of 14 years.”
Rashida Jones made a documentary about Quincy Jones
In 2018, Rashida Jones teamed up with filmmaker Alan Hicks to create a memorable documentary about her legendary father, Quincy Jones, chronicling the accomplishments and contributions of his decades-long career.
He previously told Entertainment Weekly that his goal was to make a “definitive” film about his life, saying, “I think there are a lot of things that are missing in the documentation of his life because he’s so successful.” Jones explained that for him and Al Hicks, it was “important that we get to his heart and figure out how that relates to his work.”
Also read: Rashida Jones reveals how she felt joining The Office cast; reveals the first scene she filmed
Rashida Jones had a special relationship with her parents
In an interview with The Off Camera Show in 2016, Rashida Jones explained how her famous parents had a secret obsession with education.
She explained that they were both avid readers, were very curious, and always wished they could have gone to college. She also explained how she shares many personality traits with both of her parents, especially in how she approaches the world and shares their “political views.”
