Are you an avid film enthusiast? An occasional enjoyer of entertainment? Perhaps you haven’t watched anything new and only revisit movies for the nostalgic trip to remember better days? Whichever it is, you’ve probably come across a film worked on by the late legendary actor, James Earl Jones, who recently passed on Monday, September 9th, 2024 at the venerable age of 93 years old.
Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi on January 17, 1931, James Earl Jones was the son of Ruth Connolly, and actor Robert Earl Jones. In his early life, James Earl Jones suffered from stuttering and it made being social hard for him. James Earl Jones would overcome this problem after his English teacher urged him to read poetry during class after discovering his talent for writing it. James joined the military as a reserve officer, expecting to be sent to Korea during the Korean War, but instead was commissioned after the war, being discharged in the end attaining the rank of first lieutenant. James would attend and graduate from the University of Michigan as a Drama major.
James Earl Jones appeared only in television roles before his first appearance playing the role of Lt. Lothar Zogg in the 1964 movie titled Dr. Strangelove. James Earl Jones is one of the most notable, recognizable, respected and revered actors of our time. If not apparent by his name or appearance, you could certainly point the master actor out of a crowd by hearing his iconic deep voice.
James Earl Jones has largely been seen, or more accurately, heard taking the roles of narrators in various film and television projects such as Judge Dredd. He played characters such as King Jaffe Joffer in Eddie Murphy’s comedy classic Coming to America, and Admiral Greer from the film series adaptations of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books. Of course, his most iconic roles would without a doubt be the voice acting role of Mufasa in the Lion King movies, and the voice for one of cinema’s most recognizable and best cinematic villains: Darth Vader from Star Wars, delivering many iconic lines with his deep iconic voice. In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, for example, James Earl Jones delivered one of the most iconic lines during one of the biggest movie plot twists in the 80s or late 70s:“Luke, I am your father.”