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James Earl Jones was an acclaimed American actor who had a distinguished career spanning decades, becoming one of the most recognizable voices in entertainment through his deep, resonant baritone. He is particularly remembered for iconic roles including the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, as well as his work in theater and film that earned him numerous prestigious awards.
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James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor of stage and screen, well known for his deep basso voice. He has appeared in many roles since, but is best known as the sinister voice of Lord Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. Darth Vader was portrayed in costume by Dave Prowse in the original trilogy, with Jones dubbing Vader's dialogue in postproduction. At his own request, he was originally uncredited for the first two released films: <a href="https://www.last.fm/mus
Quotes
- “If you live in an oppressive society, you've got to be resilient. You can't let each little thing crush you. You have take every encounter and make yourself larger, rather than allow yourself to be diminished by it.”
- “I have never traveled to anyone else's drumbeat. Some people have called me a rebel. I qualify as one. A lot of it is inadvertent, unintentional, not a gesture at all, just me, just the nature of myself, finding my own drumbeat.”
- “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.”
- “When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.”
Article
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, he was acclaimed for his performances on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.
Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, during the Jim Crow era (the period of racial segregation in the Southern United States), Jones overcame a childhood stutter. A pre-med major in college, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. His deep voice was praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects. Jones made his Broadway debut in the play Sunrise at Campobello (1957) and gained fame starring in several productions with Shakespeare in the Park including Othello (1964), Coriolanus (1965), Hamlet (1972), and King Lear (1973).
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1931 births2024 deaths20th-century African-American male actors20th-century American male actors21st-century African-American male actors21st-century American male actorsAcademy Honorary Award recipientsActivists for African-American civil rightsAfrican-American CatholicsAfrican-American military personnel of the Korean WarAfrican-American United States Army personnel