x

Login

Remember me
Forget password ?

Or via social

x

sign up

person_profile-James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones Age: 94

Actor | Producer

Date of Birth:

Jan 17, 1931

Country of birth:

USA

Biography of

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.

Photos of

James Earl Jones

Photos ( 20 Photos

Filmography of

James Earl Jones

Found 165 Movies in total

Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa (Archive Voice) ( Actor )

In Memory Of

... 2024

Butterfly in the Sky

Guest Narrator (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2024

... 2023

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2021

Coming 2 America

King Jaffe Joffer ( Actor )

... 2021

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 2019

On Broadway

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2019

The Lion King

Mufasa (voice) ( Actor )

... 2019

... 2019

Words from a Bear

Self ( Actor )

... 2019

Warning Shot

Pendleton ( Actor )

... 2018

... 2017

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 2016

God Bless You, Mr Rosewater

Kilgore Trout ( Actor )

... 2016

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

Mufasa (voice) ( Actor )

... 2016

Driving Miss Daisy

Hoke Colburn ( Actor )

... 2015

Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 2015

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 2014

... 2014

Gimme Shelter

Frank McCarthy ( Actor )

... 2013

Muse of Fire

Self ( Actor )

... 2013

Blackfish

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2013

Milius

Self ( Actor )

... 2013

... 2010

Jack and the Beanstalk

The Giant (voice) ( Actor )

... 2009

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2009

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Papa Jenkins ( Actor )

... 2008

Earth

Narrator ( Actor )

... 2007

Searching for Orson

Self ( Actor )

... 2006

Click

Narrator of Michael's Past (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 2006

Scary Movie 4

Narrator (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 2006

The Benchwarmers

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 2006

Hollywood's Greatest Villains

Self - Interviewee ( Actor )

... 2005

The Sandlot 2

Mr. Mertle ( Actor )

... 2005

... 2005

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Darth Vader (voice - uncredited) ( Actor )

... 2005

Robots

Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice) ( Actor )

... 2005

Nine Dog Christmas

Narrator ( Actor )

... 2004

The Story of Star Wars

Darth Vader (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2004

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror

Maggie Simpson (voice) ( Actor )

... 2003

The Great Year

Narrator ( Actor )

... 2003

... 2002

Feast of All Saints

Older Marcel ( Actor )

... 2001

... 2001

Finder's Fee

Avery Phillips ( Actor )

... 2001

Disney's American Legends

Narrator ( Actor )

... 2001

... 2000

Summer's End

Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely ( Actor )

... 2000

Fantasia 2000

Self - Host ( Actor )

... 2000

Santa and Pete

James Earl Jones ( Actor )

... 1999

... 1999

Undercover Angel

The Judge ( Actor )

... 1999

On the Q.T.

Leo ( Actor )

... 1999

Our Friend, Martin

Daddy King (voice) ( Actor )

... 1999

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Mufasa (voice) ( Actor )

... 1998

Primary Colors

CNN Voiceover (voice) ( Actor )

... 1998

Alone

Grey ( Actor )

... 1997

The Second Civil War

Jim Kalla ( Actor )

... 1997

What the Deaf Man Heard

Archibald Thacker ( Actor )

... 1997

Gang Related

Arthur Baylor ( Actor )

... 1997

Casper: A Spirited Beginning

Kibosh (voice) ( Actor )

... 1997

... 1997

Timepiece

Lawrence ( Actor )

... 1996

Looking for Richard

Self / Interview ( Actor )

... 1996

A Family Thing

Ray Murdock ( Actor )

... 1996

Cry, the Beloved Country

Rev. Stephen Kumalo ( Actor )

... 1995

Judge Dredd

Narrator (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1995

... 1995

Jefferson in Paris

Madison Hemings ( Actor )

... 1995

People: A Musical Celebration

The Storyteller (voice) ( Actor )

... 1995

Clear and Present Danger

Admiral James Greer ( Actor )

... 1994

The Lion King

Mufasa (voice) ( Actor )

... 1994

Clean Slate

John Dolby ( Actor )

... 1994

Africa: The Serengeti

Narrator ( Actor )

... 1994

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

James Earl Jones (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1994

... 1994

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil

Charles Lloyd ( Actor )

... 1994

The Vernon Johns Story

Vernon Johns ( Actor )

... 1994

Dangerous: The Short Films

Himself (Superbowl Heal The World) Voice ( Actor )

... 1993

Percy & Thunder

Percy Banks ( Actor )

... 1993

The Meteor Man

Earnest Moses ( Actor )

... 1993

Dreamrider

Bill Perry ( Actor )

... 1993

Excessive Force

Jake ( Actor )

... 1993

The Sandlot

Mr. Mertle ( Actor )

... 1993

Sommersby

Judge Barry Conrad Issacs ( Actor )

... 1993

Sneakers

Mr. Bernard Abbott ( Actor )

... 1992

Patriot Games

Adm. James Greer ( Actor )

... 1992

True Identity

Himself ( Actor )

... 1991

Scorchers

Bear ( Actor )

... 1991

Visitors from the Unknown

Narrator ( Actor )

... 1991

Convicts

Ben Johnson ( Actor )

... 1991

Grim Prairie Tales

Morrison ( Actor )

... 1990

Ivory Hunters

Inspector Nkuru ( Actor )

... 1990

Heat Wave

Junius Johnson ( Actor )

... 1990

By Dawn's Early Light

Alice ( Actor )

... 1990

The Ambulance

Lt. Spencer ( Actor )

... 1990

The Hunt for Red October

Admiral James Greer ( Actor )

... 1990

Terrorgram

Retribution (voice) ( Actor )

... 1990

... 1989

Best of the Best

Frank Couzo ( Actor )

... 1989

Field of Dreams

Terrence Mann ( Actor )

... 1989

Three Fugitives

Dugan ( Actor )

... 1989

Coming to America

King Jaffe Joffer ( Actor )

... 1988

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues

Narrator (voice) ( Actor )

... 1988

Matewan

'Few Clothes' Johnson ( Actor )

... 1987

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night

Emperor of the Night (voice) ( Actor )

... 1987

Gardens of Stone

Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson ( Actor )

... 1987

... 1986

Soul Man

Professor Banks ( Actor )

... 1986

My Little Girl

Ike Bailey ( Actor )

... 1986

Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp

Genie / Narrator ( Actor )

... 1986

The Lone Star Kid

Holmes ( Actor )

... 1986

City Limits

Albert ( Actor )

... 1985

... 1985

The Vegas Strip War

Jack Madrid ( Actor )

... 1984

Return of the Jedi

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 1983

Blood Tide

Frye ( Actor )

... 1982

Amy and the Angel

Gabriel ( Actor )

... 1982

The Flight of Dragons

Ommadon ( Actor )

... 1982

Conan the Barbarian

Thulsa Doom ( Actor )

... 1982

Night of 100 Stars

Self ( Actor )

... 1982

The Bushido Blade

The Prisoner ( Actor )

... 1981

... 1980

The Empire Strikes Back

Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1980

The Me Nobody Knows

Self ( Actor )

... 1980

Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson ( Actor )

... 1979

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 1978

... 1977

A Piece of the Action

Joshua Burke ( Actor )

... 1977

The Making of Star Wars

Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1977

Exorcist II: The Heretic

Older Kokumo ( Actor )

... 1977

... 1977

Star Wars

Darth Vader (voice) ( Actor )

... 1977

The Greatest

Malcolm X ( Actor )

... 1977

Jesus of Nazareth

Balthazar ( Actor )

... 1977

Swashbuckler

Nick Debrett ( Actor )

... 1976

The River Niger

Johnny Williams ( Actor )

... 1976

Deadly Hero

Rabbit Shazam ( Actor )

... 1975

The UFO Incident

Barney Hill ( Actor )

... 1975

The Cay

Timothy ( Actor )

... 1974

Claudine

Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall ( Actor )

... 1974

King Lear

King Lear ( Actor )

... 1974

The Man

Douglass Dilman ( Actor )

... 1972

Malcolm X

Biographical Narration (voice) ( Actor )

... 1972

The Great White Hope

Jack Jefferson ( Actor )

... 1970

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1970

End of the Road

Doctor D ( Actor )

... 1970

The Comedians

Dr. Magiot ( Actor )

... 1967