At the age of ninety-three, James Earl Jones passed away in the early morning of September 9th, surrounded by his loved ones. He was a loving father to his son Flynn and the husband of Cici. As an incredible actor, he was most recognizable as the voice behind Darth Vader, Mufasa from Lion King, and starring roles in Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, and Coming to America. Jones was also behind the introduction voice of CNN as he can be heard saying “This is CNN”. His career lasted about 60 years.
Jones was born on January 17th, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, where he was raised by his grandparents. For most of his childhood, he struggled with speech due to his stutter; regardless, he was able to develop his iconic voice, learning how to work around his speech impediment. Jones discovered his stutter was easier to deal with when he was reciting from memory after his teacher acknowledged his talent for writing poetry and encouraged him to recite it in class. This led to him participating in public speaking competitions and debates.
James Earl Jones was drawn to theater after attending the University of Michigan, where he originally wanted to study medicine. After graduating, he served in the Korean War and then sought work as an actor in New York. Jones started out working as a janitor to make ends meet, but he eventually made his first film debut in Dr. Strangelove in 1964.
Jones did not make much off of his job voicing over Darth Vader, only coming out to around 9,000 dollars for his first film. At his own request, he was not given credit for what he had considered “special effects”. Only after the film broke office records did he rethink this decision.
During his career, he accumulated many awards, including a Grammy, two Emmys, three Tony Awards, and an honorary Oscar Award from 2011 for a Lifetime Achievement. He was the second black man to be bestowed an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Many of his colleagues mourned his death, posting on social media as a way to commemorate him. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, posted “RIP Dad” on X. Matthew Broderick, who voiced Simba in The Lion King, said, “I’m so lucky to have had a chance to work with James Earl Jones. To have had him play my father, my king! And to get to know him a little bit.” All of his co-workers preach his achievements, demeanor, and talents, carrying his memory on for everyone to remember.
