Legendary actor James Earl Jones, known for his work on-screen, on the stage and as a voice actor, died Sept. 9 at the age of 93. Known for his deep, gravely voice and a commanding stage presence, Jones’ career spanned decades and ranged from Shakespearean drama (the title character in “Othello”) to beloved nostalgic sports films (Terence Mann in “Field of Dreams” and Mr. Mertle in “The Sandlot”) to iconic voice acting roles (Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in “The Lion King”).
Jones was born in 1931 and was raised by his single mother until he was 5. He moved from Arkabulta, Miss., to Dublin, Michigan due to the Great Migration. Living with his grandparents was extremely rough for him, developing a stutter and being mute in school from his first year all the way until his first year of high school. He graduated high school being vice president of his class and went to the University of Michigan and enrolled as a pre-med major. He joined the R.O.T.C., a college program which trains students for the Army. In his junior year he decided to focus on drama because he wanted to do something he enjoyed in his last years before joining the military to fight in the Korean War. After he graduated college in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama, he joined the military.
Jones would start slow in 1955. He started with “Othello” which would be a theme of his early career. He also made his broadway debut in 1957 with “The Egghead” and would get other roles during that time. In the 1960s, Jones became known for his roles in Shakespearean plays. During a show in 1964, Stanley Kubrick would see him perform and was so impressed he had Jones play that he had Jones cast a bombardier in his film. Playing a bombardier in “Dr. Strangelove” would be Jones’ first of many film roles.
His first theater stint was extremely successful and it is adored by Shakespeare fans and theater fans alike. He received numerous awards and accolades for his performances being consistently exceptional. His most notable award in this stint in the ‘50s and ‘60s was winning a Tony Award in 1969 for Best Actor in a Play. He earned this award from his work in “The Great White Hope,”
In 1970, Jones would get his first lead film role in “The Great White Hope.” This role was received extremely well, even getting a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Actor. He would gain even more Oscar nominations in 1974 for his work in “Claudine,” But 1977 was the best year of his career. He won a Grammy award for best spoken word album due to his work in the “Great American Documents,” but more notable for generations of sci-fi fans, he would suit up as the voice of arguably the most notable movie villain ever, Darth Vader, in the original “Star Wars.” This work would come to be a defining highlight of his career; he would win countless awards and become the voice of the ultimate household name in cinema.
After “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983), Jones would do smaller roles and returned to theater. He did other big roles like “The Sandlot (1993),” but he had a massive role voice acting as Mufasa in “The Lion King (1994).” The rest is history as a new generation of fans would come to instantly recognize Jones’ voice with the iconic casting.
