James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones

Active - 1964 - 2021  |   Born - Jan 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Comedy, Action

Share on

Biography by AllMovie

James Earl Jones is a distinguished African American actor instantly recognizable for his deep, resonant Shakespearean voice and wide smile. The son of prizefighter and actor Robert Earl Jones, he was raised on a farm. In college, he briefly studied medicine but switched to drama. After serving with the Army he enrolled at the American Theater Wing in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1957, then went on to appear in many plays before spending several seasons with Joseph Pap's New York Shakespeare Festival. Jones' biggest success onstage was as the star of The Great White Hope on Broadway (1966-68); for his work (portraying heavyweight champion Jack Jefferson) he received a Tony award. He had a small part in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964), but did not begin to appear onscreen much until the '70s. In addition to stage and occasional film work, he also appeared as an African chieftain in the TV series Tarzan and was one of the first black actors to be cast as a regular on the soap opera The Guiding Light in 1967. Reprising his stage role, he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe award for his work in the screen version of The Great White Hope (1970) and went on from there to have a busy screen career. He starred in the TV series Paris in 1979-80. Beginning in 1977, he provided the melodiously wicked voice of the villainous Darth Vader in the three Star Wars films. Since then he has continued to appear on screen (over 40 films to date), stage, and television. He also continues to provide voiceovers (he can frequently be heard on the CNN television network). His portrayal of the grouchy, reclusive writer opposite Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams (1989) is among his most notable turns. In 1987 he won another Tony Award, this time for his portrayal of a frustrated baseball player in August Wilson's Fences. Most recently, Jones provided the voice for Mufasa, the regal patriarch in Disney's animated film The Lion King (1994).

Movie Highlights

See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • When he was a child, he had a severe stutter.
  • Recruited by the U.S. Army in 1953, he served two years in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
  • Made his first movie appearance in the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove.
  • In 1966, he began a recurring role as Dr. Jerry Turner on the CBS daytime drama As The World Turns.
  • Made his Broadway debut in the critically acclaimed play The Great White Hope. He later reprised his role for the 1970 film version.
  • In 1992, was honored with an NAACP Image Hall of Fame Award and the National Medal of the Arts.
  • Is internationally known for his voice.