brawny

He was tall and brawny, with leafy brown hair.

“Gladiator II,” the enjoyably dumb sequel to the brawny Ridley Scott epic that won the best picture Oscar nearly a quarter-century ago, has just finished its premiere screening on the Paramount Pictures lot.

For him, performing his music is its own reward — one reason he sings at close to full power, his voice brawny yet lithe, as his live band test-runs a few tunes behind him.

Jones’ assured expressiveness and brawny presence are instantly recognizable in films and TV series, including a recurring role in “The West Wing” as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace and the supervisor of the homicide division, and the title character’s boss, on the first season of NBC’s “Hunter.”

The few that braved the back roads drove brawny vehicles that looked like they’d been sloppily dipped into chocolate.