Credits

• 2025 · The Annihilation of Fish as Fish
• 2024 · BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy as Self (archive footage)
• 2024 · Butterfly in the Sky as Guest Narrator (archive footage)
• 2022 · Obi-Wan Kenobi as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2021 · Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street as Self (archive footage)
• 2021 · Coming 2 America as King Jaffe Joffer
• 2019 · Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2019 · The Movies That Made Us as Self (archive footage)
• 2019 · On Broadway as Self (archive footage)
• 2019 · Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
• 2019 · The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
• 2019 · The Space: Theatre of Survival as Narrator
• 2019 · Words from a Bear as Self
• 2018 · Warning Shot as Pendleton
• 2017 · Broadway: The Next Generation as Self
• 2017 · The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands as Mufasa (voice)
• 2016 · Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2016 · God Bless You, Mr Rosewater as Kilgore Trout
• 2015 · The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Mufasa (voice)
• 2015 · Driving Miss Daisy as Hoke Colburn
• 2015 · Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2015 · August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand as
• 2014 · Star Wars Rebels as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2014 · Star Wars Rebels as Anakin Skywalker (voice)
• 2014 · Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2014 · The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Ruben
• 2013 · Gimme Shelter as Frank McCarthy
• 2013 · Muse of Fire as Self
• 2013 · Blackfish as Self (archive footage)
• 2013 · Milius as Self
• 2012 · An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road as Self
• 2012 · Joe Papp in Five Acts as Self
• 2010 · Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey as Admiral (voice)
• 2009 · Jack and the Beanstalk as The Giant (voice)
• 2009 · Waking Sleeping Beauty as Self (archive footage)
• 2008 · Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins as Papa Jenkins
• 2007 · Earth as Narrator (voice)
• 2007 · The Big Bang Theory as Self
• 2007 · Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson as Self
• 2007 · John, Paul, George and Ben as Narrator
• 2006 · Searching for Orson as Self
• 2006 · The One Show as Self - Guest
• 2006 · Click as Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)
• 2006 · The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays as Jack Jefferson (segment "The Great White Hope") / Troy Maxson (segment "Fences")
• 2006 · Scary Movie 4 as Narrator (uncredited)
• 2006 · The Benchwarmers as Darth Vader (voice)
• 2005 · Hollywood's Greatest Villains as Self
• 2005 · The Sandlot 2 as Mr. Mertle
• 2005 · The Reading Room as William
• 2005 · Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)
• 2005 · Robots as Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)
• 2005 · By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Narrator
• 2004 · House as Dibala
• 2004 · No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat as Self
• 2004 · Nine Dog Christmas as Narrator
• 2004 · Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy as Self
• 2004 · The Story of Star Wars as Darth Vader (archive footage)
• 2004 · Black Indians: An American Story as Narrator
• 2003 · The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror as Maggie Simpson (voice)
• 2003 · Two and a Half Men as Himself
• 2003 · The Great Year as Narrator
• 2003 · Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October' as Self
• 2002 · The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror as
• 2002 · Everwood as Will Cleveland
• 2002 · Fredericksburg: A Documentary Film as Narrator
• 2001 · Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World as Self
• 2001 · Feast of All Saints as Older Marcel
• 2001 · Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street as Mister (voice)
• 2001 · According to Jim as Royal Flush Voice (voice)
• 2001 · Finder's Fee as Avery Phillips
• 2001 · Disney's American Legends as Narrator
• 2000 · Antietam: A Documentary Film as Narrator
• 2000 · Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' as Self
• 2000 · Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' as Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
• 2000 · Summer's End as Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely
• 2000 · The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove as Self
• 2000 · Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light as
• 2000 · Fantasia 2000 as Self - Host
• 1999 · Santa and Pete as James Earl Jones
• 1999 · Undercover Angel as The Judge
• 1999 · On the Q.T. as Leo
• 1999 · Our Friend, Martin as Daddy King (voice)
• 1998 · The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as Mufasa (voice)
• 1998 · Will & Grace as Self
• 1998 · AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies as Self
• 1998 · Merlin as Rock of Ages
• 1998 · Primary Colors as CNN Voiceover (voice)
• 1997 · Alone as Grey
• 1997 · The Second Civil War as Jim Kalla
• 1997 · What the Deaf Man Heard as Archibald Thacker
• 1997 · Gang Related as Arthur Baylor
• 1997 · Hitler's Forgotten Victims as Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
• 1997 · Casper: A Spirited Beginning as Kibosh (voice)
• 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Unas (Voice)
• 1997 · Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
• 1997 · The Second Civil War as Jim Kalla
• 1997 · Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery as Self
• 1997 · Afro Promo as Self (archive footage)
• 1996 · Timepiece as Lawrence
• 1996 · Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault as Dr. McDuffie
• 1996 · Looking for Richard as Self - Interviewee
• 1996 · A Family Thing as Ray Murdock
• 1996 · 3rd Rock from the Sun as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
• 1995 · Cry, the Beloved Country as Rev. Stephen Kumalo
• 1995 · Who's in Rabbit's House? as Narrator (voice)
• 1995 · Judge Dredd as Narrator (uncredited)
• 1995 · The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
• 1995 · The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Host
• 1995 · Jefferson in Paris as Madison Hemings
• 1995 · Under One Roof as Neb Langston
• 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Dakkar (voice)
• 1995 · Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable as Mufasa (voice)
• 1995 · Signs and Wonders as Diamond
• 1995 · People: A Musical Celebration as The Storyteller (voice)
• 1994 · Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' as Narrator
• 1994 · Touched by an Angel as The Angel of Angels
• 1994 · Clear and Present Danger as Admiral James Greer
• 1994 · The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
• 1994 · The Making of the Lion King as Self
• 1994 · The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics as Host
• 1994 · Clean Slate as John Dolby
• 1994 · Africa: The Serengeti as Narrator
• 1994 · Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult as James Earl Jones (uncredited)
• 1994 · Gangs: Turning the Corner as Self
• 1994 · Confessions: Two Faces of Evil as Charles Lloyd
• 1994 · The Vernon Johns Story as Vernon Johns
• 1993 · Hallelujah as Old Man Taylor
• 1993 · Dangerous: The Short Films as Self [Superbowl Heal The World] (voice)
• 1993 · Frasier as Norman Royster
• 1993 · Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Franklin Stern
• 1993 · Percy & Thunder as Percy Banks
• 1993 · The Meteor Man as Earnest Moses
• 1993 · Dreamrider as Bill Perry
• 1993 · Excessive Force as Jake
• 1993 · The Sandlot as Mr. Mertle
• 1993 · Sommersby as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
• 1993 · Homicide: Life on the Street as
• 1992 · Lincoln as Narrator (voice)
• 1992 · Sneakers as Mr. Bernard Abbott
• 1992 · Patriot Games as Adm. James Greer
• 1992 · Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (Voice)
• 1991 · Pros and Cons as Gabriel Bird
• 1991 · True Identity as Himself
• 1991 · Scorchers as Bear
• 1991 · Portrait of Castro's Cuba as Host/Narrator
• 1991 · Visitors from the Unknown as Narrator
• 1991 · Convicts as Ben Johnson
• 1990 · Grim Prairie Tales as Morrison
• 1990 · Law & Order as Defense Attorney Horace McCoy
• 1990 · Gabriel's Fire as Gabriel Bird
• 1990 · Ivory Hunters as Inspector Nkuru
• 1990 · Heat Wave as Junius Johnson
• 1990 · Last Flight Out as Al Topping
• 1990 · By Dawn's Early Light as Alice
• 1990 · The Ambulance as Lt. Spencer
• 1990 · The Hunt for Red October as Admiral Greer
• 1990 · Terrorgram as Retribution (voice)
• 1990 · Teach 109 as Dr. Winston
• 1989 · The Simpsons as Narrator (voice)
• 1989 · The Simpsons as Moving Man / Serak the Preparer / Narrator (voice)
• 1989 · The Simpsons as Maggie Simpson (voice)
• 1989 · 11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried as Narrator
• 1989 · Best of the Best as Frank Couzo
• 1989 · Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
• 1989 · Field of Dreams as Terrence Mann
• 1989 · Long Ago and Far Away as Host
• 1989 · Three Fugitives as Dugan
• 1989 · Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark as Narrator
• 1989 · The Hunting of the Snark as Narrator (voice)
• 1988 · Coming to America as King Jaffe Joffer
• 1988 · Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues as Narrator (voice)
• 1987 · Matewan as 'Few Clothes' Johnson
• 1987 · Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night as Emperor of the Night (voice)
• 1987 · Gardens of Stone as Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson
• 1987 · A House Divided as
• 1987 · Mathnet as Chief Thad Green
• 1987 · Mathnet as Chief Thad Green (voice)
• 1986 · Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold as Umslopogaas
• 1986 · Soul Man as Professor Banks
• 1986 · L.A. Law as Lee Atkins
• 1986 · My Little Girl as Ike Bailey
• 1986 · Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp as Genie / Narrator
• 1986 · The Lone Star Kid as Holmes
• 1985 · City Limits as Albert
• 1985 · Me & Mom as
• 1985 · Night of 100 Stars II as Self
• 1985 · The Atlanta Child Murders as Major Walker
• 1985 · Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates as
• 1984 · The Vegas Strip War as Jack Madrid
• 1984 · Highway to Heaven as Gabe Wilson
• 1984 · CBS Schoolbreak Special as Detective Robb
• 1984 · Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears as Narrator
• 1983 · Reading Rainbow as Himself - Narrator (voice)
• 1983 · Return of the Jedi as Darth Vader (voice)
• 1982 · Blood Tide as Frye
• 1982 · Amy and the Angel as Gabriel
• 1982 · Faerie Tale Theatre as Genie / Narrator (voice)
• 1982 · The Flight of Dragons as Ommadon (voice)
• 1982 · Conan the Barbarian as Thulsa Doom
• 1982 · Night of 100 Stars as Self
• 1981 · The Creation as Narrator (voice)
• 1981 · The Bushido Blade as The Prisoner
• 1981 · There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues as himself, voice
• 1981 · Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
• 1981 · God's Trombones as Himself - Narrator (segment "The Creation")
• 1980 · The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story as Dane Oliver
• 1980 · The Empire Strikes Back as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
• 1980 · The Me Nobody Knows as Self
• 1980 · Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones as Father Divine
• 1979 · Paris as Woody Paris
• 1979 · A Walking Tour of Sesame Street as Self - Host
• 1979 · Roots: The Next Generations as Alex Haley
• 1979 · Paul Robeson as Paul Robeson
• 1978 · Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement as Self
• 1978 · The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
• 1978 · The Star Wars Holiday Special as Darth Vader (voice)
• 1978 · The Magic of David Copperfield as
• 1977 · The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened as Morris Bird, Jr.
• 1977 · A Piece of the Action as Joshua Burke
• 1977 · The Making of Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
• 1977 · Exorcist II: The Heretic as Older Kokumo
• 1977 · The Last Remake of Beau Geste as Sheikh
• 1977 · Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
• 1977 · The Greatest as Malcolm X
• 1977 · Jesus of Nazareth as Balthazar
• 1977 · Jesus Of Nazareth as Balthazar
• 1976 · Swashbuckler as Nick Debrett
• 1976 · The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings as Leon
• 1976 · The River Niger as Johnny Williams
• 1975 · Deadly Hero as Rabbit Shazam
• 1975 · The UFO Incident as Barney Hill
• 1975 · Vegetable Soup as Long John Spoilsport
• 1974 · The Cay as Timothy
• 1974 · Dinah! as Self
• 1974 · Claudine as Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall
• 1974 · King Lear as King Lear
• 1973 · The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
• 1973 · Black Omnibus as Self - Host
• 1972 · The Man as Douglass Dilman
• 1972 · Malcolm X as Biographical Narration (voice)
• 1971 · Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream as Narrator
• 1971 · Great Performances as King Lear
• 1970 · The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson
• 1970 · King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
• 1970 · End of the Road as Doctor D
• 1969 · Sesame Street as
• 1968 · Film Night as
• 1968 · The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
• 1967 · The Comedians as Dr. Magiot
• 1966 · Tarzan as
• 1964 · Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb as Lt. Lothar Zogg
• 1963 · East Side/West Side as
• 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
• 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
• 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
• 1961 · Dr. Kildare as Dr. Lou Rush
• 1961 · The Defenders as Lieutenant Andrews
• 1961 · The Defenders as Reverend Harris Bonham
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Winner/ Performer
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Winner
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Nominee
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Nominee/Presenter
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self (archive footage)
• 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Archibald Thacker
• 1948 · Lamp Unto My Feet as
• 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Jack Jefferson (archive footage)