![James Earl Jones](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w300//oqMPIsXrl9SZkRfIKN08eFROmH6.jpg)
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is a multi-award-winning American actor of theater and film, well known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership. He is known for providing the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and the tagline for CNN. James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, the son of Ruth (née Connolly) and Robert Earl Jones. At the age of five, he moved to Jackson, Michigan, to be raised by his maternal grandparents, but the adoption was traumatic and he developed a stutter so severe he refused to speak aloud. When he moved to Brethren, Michigan in later years a teacher at the Brethren schools started to help him with his stutter. He remained functionally mute for eight years until he reached high school. He credits his high school teacher, Donald Crouch, who discovered he had a gift for writing poetry, with helping him out of his silence. Jones attended the University of Michigan where he was a pre-med major. While there, he joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps, and excelled. During the course of his studies, Jones discovered he was not cut out to be a doctor. Instead he focused himself on drama, with the thought of doing something he enjoyed, before, he assumed, he would have to go off to fight in the Korean War. After four years of college, Jones left without his degree. In 1953 he found a part-time stage crew job at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan, which marked the beginning of his acting career. During the 1955–1957 seasons he was an actor and stage manager. He performed his first portrayal of Shakespeare’s Othello in this theater in 1955. After his discharge from the Military, Jones moved to New York, where he attended the American Theatre Wing to further his training and worked as a janitor to earn a living. His first film role was as a young and trim Lt. Lothar Zogg, the B-52 bombardier in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in 1964. His first big role came with his portrayal of boxer Jack Jefferson in the film version of the Broadway play The Great White Hope, which was based on the life of boxer Jack Johnson. For his role, Jones was nominated Best Actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, making him the second African-American male performer (following Sidney Poitier) to receive a nomination. In 1969, Jones participated in making test films for a proposed children's television series; these shorts, combined with animated segments were the beginnings of the Sesame Street format. The next year, in the early 1970s, James appeared with Diahann Carroll in the film called Claudine. While he has appeared in many roles, he is well known as the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. Darth Vader was portrayed in costume by David Prowse in the original trilogy, with Jones dubbing Vader's dialogue in postproduction due to Prowse's strong West Country accent being unsuitable for the role. At his own request, he was originally uncredited for the release of the first two films (he would later be credited for the two in the 1997 re-release). His other voice roles include Mufasa in the 1994 film Disney animated blockbuster The Lion King, and its direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He also has done the CNN tagline, "This is CNN", as well as "This is CNN International", and the Bell Atlantic tagline, "Bell Atlantic: The heart of communication". When Bell Atlantic became Verizon, Jones used the tagline greeting of "Welcome to Verizon" or "Verizon 411" right before a phone call would go through. The opening for NBC's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; "the Big PI in the Sky" (God) in the computer game Under a Killing Moon; a Claymation film about The Creation; and several guest spots on The Simpsons. In addition to his film and voice over work, Jones is an accomplished stage actor as well; he has won Tony awards in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences. Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet are Shakespearean roles he has played. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. Jones has been married to actress Cecilia Hart since 1982. They have one child, Flynn Earl Jones. He was previously married to American actress/singer Julienne Marie (born March 21, 1933, Toledo, Ohio); they had no children. Jones is a registered Republican.
Known For
Credits
- 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
- 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 · 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 · The Annihilation of Fish as Fish
- 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 · 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
- 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 · 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 · 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 · Michael Jackson: 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 · 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 · Terrorgram as Retribution (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
- 1986 · 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 Flight of Dragons as Ommadon (voice)
- 1984 · The Vegas Strip War as Jack Madrid
- 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 · 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
- 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
- 1974 · The Cay as Timothy
- 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 · 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
- 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 - Nominee / Performer
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
- Future · Vegetable Soup as Long John Spoilsport
- 1970 · King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis 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)