“The goal wasn’t to be a millionaire or to be a Hollywood star. That was not the goal. The goal was something about – the goal was to find the goal, but I knew where it was.”
James Earl Jones
Introduction
He provided the voices for Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. A Hollywood giant who had a radiant smile and a voice that was as smooth as velvet, rich, resonating and divine. A man who loved to act and earned the right to play some monumental parts. James Earl Jones was a master class in acting, diving into a part at the deep end and leaving it with his memorable trademark on the character portrayed. A leading black actor of his generation who could be a looming force and a gentle, giggling delight. An acting powerhouse who understood the essence of acting and spent his life delighting stage, television and film audiences with a free-flowing style of acting that allowed him to showcase his diverse range of styles. The pain and beauty of the Deep South, are beautifully served on a cinematic platter.
The Rise
Born in 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, James was the son of Robert Earl Jones, a minor actor, boxer, butler and chauffeur and Ruth, a teacher. His father left when James was very young and was raised by his grandparents on a farm in Michigan. A child who suffered from a stutter and controlled it by reading aloud at Brown’s school in Brethren. A student who went on to graduate from the University of Michigan and served as a US ranger in the Korean War. A man who returned to join the Ramsdell theatre as a stage manager and actor, securing the part of Shakespeare’s Othello in 1955.
A student of the legendary Lee Strasberg at the American Theatre Wing, James made his Broadway debut at the Cort Theatre in 1958 with Dory Schary’s Sunrise at Campobello, a play about Franklin D Roosevelt. He would go to play Caliban in The Tempest, Macduff in Macbeth and Othello, all at Central Park. He also appeared in Stanley Kubrick’s 1963 film, Doctor Strangelove as Lt Lother Zogg. A film starring Peter Sellers in which his acting skills shone as three characters.
Jones shone in Les Blancs, The Cherry Orchard and King Lear, topped off with his portrayal of Paul Robeson on Broadway with his final performance of Othello on Broadway in 1982 alongside Christopher Plummer on Broadway. With delightful film roles in The Last Remake of Beau Geste, The Greatest, Masterson’s Convicts, Sommersby, Cry the Beloved Country and Coming to America, Jones showcased his diversity from drama to comedy. A giant among men who excelled as Big Daddy in the stage version of A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2009 or as the chauffeur Redgrave in Driving Miss Daisy. His last stage appearance on Broadway in The Gin Game in 2015. He was subsequently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Tony award in 2017, and the Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022.
Luke, The Force
Used to replace the West Country accent of the Green Cross Man, David Prowse who donned the Darth Vader costume, James Earl Jones may have voiced Darth from a Hollywood sound booth but it fitted the character like a glove. The hauntingly evil Vader turned to the dark side. A Jedi who like Lucifer became a fallen angel. A corrupted force that could strangle a victim with one hand or strike them down with a lightsaber. The Death Star, his palace and his eternal prison. A Jedi whose driving force in life was to see his son Luke learn and master the powers of the force and become the person he should have become.
James depicts this voice so well. Dark, menacing and evil. A masked leader has to have an oxygen supply to breathe. Heavy breathing with a voice that sounds like it comes out of a funnel but one that scared so many children of the era. Yet beyond the evil is goodness and Jones shows the softer side of Vader later in the original trilogy. A father who just wants a relationship with his son and is prepared to die to give Luke the best outcome. A skill set that is nurtured by Yoda.
The Passing
Jones’ death in 2024, aged 93, lowers the curtains on another Hollywood great. A man who experienced hardship and success but never lost the burning desire to act. An acting colossus whose distinctive voice never leaves you with his stellar performances. The wise eyes, the wry smile and the person who ultimately you loved. James set the benchmark and smashed it. A great loss to the world of entertainment and someone who is definitely an icon who will be long remembered.
