Earlier today, it was reported that James Earl Jones had passed away at the age of 93. As family, friends, and fans of the renowned actor grieve his passing, many have taken to reminiscing on his past roles. Jones successfully portrayed myriad characters and roles, many to award-winning levels. From Darth Vader and Mufasa to Shakespearian icons of old, James Earl Jones touched many people, from all walks of life. Following the tragic news of his death, take a look back on all of Jones’ best roles.
Critical Acclaim on the Stage
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James Earl Jones began his acting career with Shakespeare and Broadway. His first role was Othello in the Shakespearean play Othello at the Ramsdell Theatre in 1955. Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 as Lloyd Richards’ understudy for Molly Kazan’s The Egghead. These roles opened the door for James Earl Jones to steal the spotlight on stage. In the 60s, he became one of the best Shakespearean actors of the time due to his roles in Othello, King Lear, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet. Things began to take off when Jones scored the role of Jack Jefferson in Howard Sackler’s play The Great White Hope. The play went on to win a Pulitzer, and Jones won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Jones earned his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fences. In November 2011, Ben Kingsley presented James Earl Jones with an honorary Oscar in front of the audience, following his performance in Driving Miss Daisy. His last stage performance would be in the 2015-2016 run of The Gin Game.
An Unforgettable Voice
Perhaps James Earl Jones’ most iconic role is that of the voice of Darth Vader. His debut in the role came in 1977 with the release of George Lucas’ Star Wars: A New Hope. He would go on to reprise this role for many Star Wars projects, including The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Jones went uncredited for his voice work in the first two Star Wars films, insisting that David Prowse, who portrayed Darth Vader on set, get the credit.
During the production of the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi, James Earl Jones signed an agreement with Lucasfilm, allowing them to artificially generate his voice for the use of Darth Vader using archival voice recordings. As a result, Respeecher, an AI voice synthesis software, was credited for “voice conversion services” in Obi-Wan Kenobi. In 2022, Jones announced he would retire from voicing Darth Vader, allowing Respeecher to take over.
Despite its massive success, Darth Vader is not the only voice James Earl Jones is known for providing. In 1994, he lent his distinctive voice to Disney’s animated hit The Lion King as Mufasa. He reprised this role in 2019 for the CGI remake. However, Jones’ voice work hasn’t been limited to purely fictional, creative works. He has also lent his iconic voice to promotional content for companies like CNN, Bell Atlantic, Verizon, DirecTV, Sprint, and for NBC’s coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
Success in Live-Action
James Earl Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 political satire Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Many site James Earl Jones as Sesame Street‘s first celebrity guest due to his popularity with the show’s young audiences. In 1970, Jones reprised his role as Jack Johnson in the film adaptation of The Great White Hope. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His next nomination for a Golden Globe Award would be for his performance in the 1974 romcom, Claudine.
Jones would go on to star in many more successful films such as Conan the Barbarian (1982), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1993), and the widely acclaimed An American Moment (1997-1999). He’s also made many iconic guest appearances on popular TV shows like Law & Order, Frasier, Will & Grace, Two and a Half Men, House M.D., and The Big Bang Theory.
Final Thoughts
James Earl Jones’ sheer award-winning talent was not lost on his fans and colleagues, and his plethora of awards demonstrates that. His command of Shakespeare touched those in the stage-acting sphere, his menacing tones excited fans of Star Wars, and his fatherly voice in The Lion King will forever stick with children of all generations. Jones’ greatness cannot be distilled down to any one genre, story, or role. He has paved the way for voice actors, stage actors, film actors, and TV actors, inspiring the following generations of talent. While the news of James Earl Jones’ death is truly tragic and has no doubt impacted many, may his fans find solace in his highly successful lifetime of acting.
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