On September 9, our very own galaxy lost one of its most iconic actors. James Earl Jones (September 17, 1931- September 9, 2024), while essential as the voice behind the characters of Darth Vader and Mufasa in Disney’s Star Wars and The Lion King, was celebrated on the stage and screen long before obtaining these voice-acting roles.
On the Stage
Born in Mississippi and having grown up in Michigan, Jones first made his mark as a stage actor. Over his near seventy-year career, he played well-known classic characters like King Oedipus, King Lear, and Othello while challenging himself and his audiences in more experimental and, at times, controversial roles in Off-Broadway productions. While he began his career in 1957 as “Edward the butler” in Sunrise at Campobello, a play focused on the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his struggles with polio, Jones soon found himself in leading roles like that of Troy Maxson, the protagonist and central father figure in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences, and Jack Jefferson (based on the real-life heavyweight champion Jack Johnson) in Howard Sackler’s The Great White Hope. For this, he earned his first Tony Award and became the first African American to win a Tony for best actor in a play. Several more Tonys, Obies, Grammys, and Golden Globes followed as he bridged into film and continued to act on stage.
In Television and the Movies
Jones earned a Golden Globe in 1970 for the film adaptation of The Great White Hope, three Emmys for his roles in television productions and specials, and two NAACP Image Awards (Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Character Voice-over Performance). In addition to these prestigious honors, he received awards from the Screen Actors Guild, Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Grammys, and Kennedy Center Honors. And, while he never earned an Oscar, he was nominated for one in 1971 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy in 2011.
Breaking Barriers
Beyond receiving awards for his stage and film acting, Jones broke barriers in other mediums. On As the World Turns in the 1960s, he became one of the first African American actors in a continuing role on a daytime drama. Also, according to Laura Lee Leathers, contributor to the Mississippi Magnolia Tribune, he was the first star to guest on the PBS children’s program Sesame Street where he would reappear as a guest for several more decades. And, in 1990, he became the “voice of America” when CNN asked Jones to perform its tagline, “This…is CNN,” which is still in use today.
Perhaps most significant though were Jones’s contributions to artforms that had denied Black actors complex, multi-dimensional leading roles. While Jones wasn’t active in the civil rights movement, he considered his acting in roles dealing with racial issues to be his contribution.
Legacy Today
In 2022, the Cort Theater where Jones delivered his first on-Broadway line in 1958 became the James Earl Jones Theater. At the time of his passing, George Lucas and many other actors, creators, and celebrities mourned the loss of this great artist. In an interview with Variety, Denzel Washington said, “He was who I wanted to be. [...] He’s my hero.”
While James Earl Jones may be the voice behind some of our most iconic pop culture characters, he was an actor first and foremost. His voice was only part of his legacy.
How might you celebrate the life and legacy of James Earl Jones?
Explore books available in the catalog about how he found his voice or that feature an introduction where he discusses his love of poetry.
Check out his memoir James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences co-written with Penelope Niven through the Link+ service.
Experience one of the Broadway, classic, or experimental plays that he starred in:
Watch one of his memorable or lesser-known roles on film
- Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964 (Jones’s screen acting debut as Lieutenant Lothar Zogg)
- The Great White Hope, 1970 (played Jack Jefferson, heavyweight champion)
- Claudine, 1974 (Rupert B. Marshall or “Roop”)
- Matewan, 1987 (“Few Clothes” Johnson)
- Coming to America, 1988 (King Jaffe Joffer)
- Field of Dreams, 1989 (Terence Mann)
- Sneakers, 1992 (Mr. Bernard Abbott)
- The Sandlot, 1993 (Mr. Mertle)
- Cry, the Beloved Country, 1995 (Rev. Stephen Kumalo)
Listen to his stellar narratorial performances in e-audiobooks and audiobooks
- The New Testament (Fun fact: Jones converted to Catholicism during his military service in the 1950s and was a devout Catholic until his death)
- The American playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s audio collection
- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples’ Ears
- Caldecott Medal Winner Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Finally, take part in Star Wars Reads this October!
For the past thirteen years, Disney Publishing and Lucasfilm Press have sponsored a month-long celebration of reading and literacy called Stars Wars Reads. Over the month of October, they welcome readers of all ages to explore the wide range of Star Wars stories and characters found in books and media of all kinds.
We encourage you to explore our catalog to find other works by Jones for children, teens, and adults.
Contributed by Sarah Broderick
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