Who was James Earl Jones? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 93

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Cecilia Hartm (m. 1982–2016), Julienne Mariem (m. 1968–1972)

father: Robert Earl Jones

mother: Ruth Williams Jones, Ruth Williams Jones,

siblings: Matthew Earl Jones

children: Flynn Earl Jones

Born Country: United States

African Americans African American Men

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

Died on: September 9, 2024

place of death: Pawling, New York, United States

Ancestry: Irish American

U.S. State: Mississippi

More Facts

education: University Of Michigan

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1

What iconic movie role did James Earl Jones provide the voice for?

Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.
2

Which famous Broadway play did James Earl Jones star in and win a Tony Award for?

"Fences" by August Wilson.
3

In which popular Disney animated movie did James Earl Jones provide the voice for Mufasa?

"The Lion King."

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Childhood & Early Life

James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA, to Robert Earl Jones and Ruth Conolly. His father, a small-time actor who also held several other jobs, abandoned the family when James was a baby. He was raised mainly by his maternal grandparents who were farmers. He is multiracial.

Raised in his grandparents’ farm, he had a difficult childhood and developed severe stutter. Because of this, he became withdrawn and refused to speak to anyone. During his high school, his English teacher encouraged him to recite poetry and with the guidance of his teacher he overcame stuttering.

He initially attended the ‘Browning School’ for boys and then graduated from ‘Brethren High School.’ He went to the ‘University of Michigan’ to study medicine, but soon realized that he was not meant to be a doctor and dropped out.

He joined the ‘Reserve Officer Training’ corps and served in the military during the ‘Korean War.’ Initially, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and was promoted to first lieutenant by the time of his discharge.

After being discharged from the army, he went to New York and studied at the ‘American Theatre Wing.’ During this time, he worked as a janitor to earn his living.

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Career

He began his acting career as a stage artist. He had worked part time at the ‘Ramsdell Theatre’ prior to his military stint. He was a stage carpenter in 1953 and began working as an actor in 1955 when he performed in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello.’

Over the next few years, he acted in many of Shakespeare’s plays like ‘King Lear,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘Measure for Measure,’ and ‘Hamlet.’

He landed his first film role in 1964 when he was cast as ‘Lieutenant Lothar Zogg’ in Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy ‘Dr. Strangelove.’

He played the lead role in the 1967 play ‘The Great White Hope’ in which he portrayed the boxing champion ‘Jack Jefferson.’ The play was highly successful and ran for 546 performances.

He reprised his role as ‘Jack Jefferson’ in the 1970 movie ‘The Great White Hope’ which was adapted from the play of the same name. He received an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for ‘Best Actor’ for his role.

He enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s and 1980s as he performed a variety of roles in movies of different genres. Some of his best known works from this time period were ‘Claudine’ (1974), ‘The Greatest’ (1977), ‘Conan the Barbarian’ (1982), ‘Gardens of Stone’ (1987), and ‘Best of the Best’ (1989).

Blessed with a deep and distinctive voice, James voiced ‘Darth Vader’ in the ‘Star War’ trilogy: ‘Star Wars’ (1977), ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980), and ‘Return of the Jedi’ (1983). Upon his request, he was uncredited for his work until 1997.

He played the main character ‘Gabriel Bird’ in the television series ‘Gabriel’s Fire’ which ran from 1990 to 1991. In the series, he portrayed a former Chicago police officer who gets wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 1995, he appeared in the television drama series ‘Under One Roof’ which revolved around the lives of three generations of an African-American family that shares a house.

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He portrayed ‘Rev Stephen Kumalo’ in the 1995 film ‘Cry, the Beloved Country’ which was directed by Darrell Roodt. The movie was based on Alan Paton’s novel of the same name.

The actor turned 69 as the new millennium dawned, but his age could not stop him from doing what he loved. During the 2000s, he was very active in theatre and appeared in many plays, such as ‘On Golden Pond’ (2005), ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ (2008), and ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ (2010).

Jones starred as ‘Chief Justice Caleb Thorne’ in the American drama series ‘Agent X’ in 2015.

In 2019, he voiced ‘Mustafa’ in Disney's musical film ‘The Lion King.’

In 2021, James Earl Jones was seen in the movie 'Coming 2 America'. The movie is the sequel to 'Coming to America' (1988) and James Earl Jones reprised his role of Jaffe Joffer.

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Major Works

He portrayed boxer ‘Jack Jefferson’ (a fictionalized version of boxer Jack Johnson) in the play ‘The Great White Hope.’ He then reprised his role in the film of the same name. His role was critically acclaimed and earned him several awards.

He played the main character ‘Gabriel Bird’ in the television series ‘Gabriel’s Fire.’ His portrayal of a Chicago cop, wrongfully sentenced for murder, is considered one of his finest performances.

Awards & Achievements

In 1969, he received the prestigious ‘Tony Award’ for ‘Best Actor in a Play’ for his work in ‘The Great White Hope.’ He would receive the award under the same category in 1987 for his role in ‘Fences.’

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In 1971, he won the ‘Golden Globe Award’ for ‘New Star of the Year-Actor’ for his performance in the film ‘The Great White Hope.’

In 1977, he received a ‘Grammy Award’ under the ‘Best Spoken Word’ category for his work in ‘Great American Documents.’

He won the ‘Emmy Award’ for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ for the television series ‘Gabriel’s Fire’ in 1990. The same year, he received another ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ for ‘Supporting Actor in a Miniseries’ for his role in ‘Heat Wave.’

He received an ‘Honorary Academy Award’ in 2011, becoming a recipient of the EGOT without winning a competitive ‘Oscar.’

Personal Life & Legacy

He was married to actress Julienne Marie.

In 1982, he got married to Cecilia Hart. The couple was blessed with a child in 1982. Hart died of ovarian cancer on October 16, 2016.

James Earl Jones died on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93, at his home in Pawling, New York.

Facts About James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones had a stutter and struggled with it well into his adulthood

He overcame his stutter by taking acting classes, which helped him gain confidence in his voice and speech.

Jones was a talented Broadway performer and won two Tony Awards for his work on stage, showcasing his versatility as an actor beyond his iconic voice work.

In addition to his successful acting career, James Earl Jones was also an accomplished voice-over artist, lending his distinctive voice to various documentaries, commercials, and animated films.

Jones was a dedicated philanthropist and supported various charitable causes over the years, including organizations focused on arts education and diversity in the entertainment industry.

Despite his intimidating on-screen presence, James Earl Jones was known for his warm and friendly demeanor off-screen, often described as humble and approachable by those who have worked with him.

1991	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Gabriel's Fire (1990)
1991	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special	Heat Wave (1990)

James Earl Jones Biography

You wanted to know

What iconic movie role did James Earl Jones provide the voice for?

Which famous Broadway play did James Earl Jones star in and win a Tony Award for?

In which popular Disney animated movie did James Earl Jones provide the voice for Mufasa?