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IMDbPro

James Earl Jones

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000337
James Earl Jones
Take a closer look at the various roles James Earl Jones has played throughout his legendary acting career.
Play clip1:42
James Earl Jones | Career Retrospective
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. It appeared to work as he has since starred in many films over a 40-year period, beginning with the Stanley Kubrick classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). For several movie fans, he is probably best known for his role as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy (due to his contribution for the voice of the role, as the man in the Darth Vader suit was David Prowse, whose voice was dubbed because of his British West Country accent). In his brilliant course of memorable performances, among others, he has also appeared on the animated series The Simpsons (1989) three times and played Mufasa both in The Lion King (1994) and The Lion King (2019), while he returned too as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
BornJanuary 17, 1931
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJanuary 17, 1931
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000337
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 29 wins & 30 nominations total

Photos271

James Earl Jones in Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' (1994)
James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen in Part III (2022)
Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones in A Family Thing (1996)
James Earl Jones in Clear and Present Danger (1994)
James Earl Jones in Coming 2 America (2021)
James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll in Claudine (1974)
James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll in Claudine (1974)
James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll in Claudine (1974)
Marlon Brando and James Earl Jones in Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Marlon Brando and James Earl Jones in Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Marlon Brando and James Earl Jones in Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, and Amy Madigan in Field of Dreams (1989)

Known for

James Earl Jones, Forest Whitaker, Wen Jiang, Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, and Abrey Steve in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
7.8
  • Darth Vader(voice)
  • 2016
James Earl Jones and JD McCrary in The Lion King (2019)
The Lion King
6.8
  • Mufasa(voice)
  • 2019
Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October (1990)
The Hunt for Red October
7.5
  • Admiral Greer
  • 1990
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Warwick Davis, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Carter, and Larry Ward in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
8.3
  • Darth Vader(voice)
  • 1983

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi
    • Darth Vader (voice)
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2022
  • James Earl Jones, Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, Paul Bates, Shari Headley, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Clint Smith, Akiley Love, Bella Murphy, Jermaine Fowler, Teyana Taylor, Rotimi, Nomzamo Mbatha, and KiKi Layne in Coming 2 America (2021)
    Coming 2 America
    • King Jaffe Joffer
    • 2021
  • Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Keri Russell, J.J. Abrams, Lynn Robertson Bruce, Hassan Taj, Oscar Isaac, Brian Herring, Jimmy Vee, Dave Chapman, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Robin Guiver, Daisy Ridley, Lee Towersey, Joonas Suotamo, and Naomi Ackie in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
    Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
    • Darth Vader (voice)
    • 2019
  • James Earl Jones and JD McCrary in The Lion King (2019)
    The Lion King
    • Mufasa (voice)
    • 2019
  • Warning Shot (2018)
    Warning Shot
    • Pendleton
    • 2018
  • James Earl Jones, Forest Whitaker, Wen Jiang, Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, and Abrey Steve in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
    • Darth Vader (voice)
    • 2016
  • Freddie Prinze Jr., Steve Blum, Vanessa Marshall, Dave Filoni, Tiya Sircar, and Taylor Gray in Star Wars: Rebels (2014)
    Star Wars: Rebels
    • Darth Vader (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2014–2016
  • The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015)
    The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
    • Mufasa (voice)
    • TV Movie
    • 2015
  • Jeff Hephner in Agent X (2015)
    Agent X
    • Chief Justice Caleb Thorne
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Great Performances (1971)
    Great Performances
    • Hoke
    • King Lear
    • TV Series
    • 1974–2014
  • Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, and Melissa Leo in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)
    The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
    • Ruben (Video store owner)
    • 2014
  • Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Melissa Rauch, and Kunal Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory (2007)
    The Big Bang Theory
    • James Earl Jones
    • TV Series
    • 2014
  • Vanessa Hudgens in Gimme Shelter (2013)
    Gimme Shelter
    • Frank McCarthy
    • 2013
  • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011)
    Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
    • Darth Vader (voice)
    • Short
    • 2011
  • Jim Belushi, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Taylor Atelian, and Billi Bruno in According to Jim (2001)
    Season 3 According to Jim
    • Royal Flush Voice (uncredited)
    • Video
    • 2011

Soundtrack

  • Beyoncé, Folajomi 'FJ' Akinmurele, Emmanuel Adjei, and Blitz Bazawule in Black Is King (2020)
    Black Is King
    • performer: "Remember (Mufasa Interlude)", "Balance (Mufasa Interlude)", "The Stars (Mufasa Interlude)", "I'm Home (Mufasa, Sarabi & Simba Interlude)"
    • 2020
  • Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Melissa Rauch, and Kunal Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory (2007)
    The Big Bang Theory
    • performer: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2014
  • Mary Stuart Masterson and D.B. Sweeney in Gardens of Stone (1987)
    Gardens of Stone
    • performer: "Streets of Laredo" (uncredited)
    • 1987
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos100

James Earl Jones | Career Retrospective
Clip 1:42
James Earl Jones | Career Retrospective
The Evolution of Anakin Skywalker
Clip 3:23
The Evolution of Anakin Skywalker
What We Know About 'The Lion King' ... So Far
Clip 3:16
What We Know About 'The Lion King' ... So Far
Shot for Shot: 'The Lion King' (2019) vs. 'The Lion King' (1994)
Clip 1:26
Shot for Shot: 'The Lion King' (2019) vs. 'The Lion King' (1994)
Glenn Close Introduces James Earl Jones
Clip 11:19
Glenn Close Introduces James Earl Jones
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Clip 0:52
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Clip 1:02
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Clip 1:15
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
Clip 0:57
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
Clip 0:53
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
Clip 1:15
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition
Clip 0:55
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Special Edition

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • Twitter
  • Alternative name
    • James Earl Boggins Jones
  • Height
    • 6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
  • Born
    • January 17, 1931
    • Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA
  • Spouses
      Cecilia HartMarch 15, 1982 - October 16, 2016 (her death, 1 child)
  • Children
    • Flynn Earl Jones
  • Parents
      Ruth Connolly
  • Other works
    Large Series of Radio and TV commercials for the Bell Atlantic telephone system (voice over).
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 3 Interviews
    • 4 Articles
    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    According to Jones, when George Lucas was trying to cast the voice of Darth Vader, his immediate idea was to cast Orson Welles. However, he felt that Welles was too well-known for the role. So instead, he looked for an actor with a deep voice, "like Orson Welles", which is how he got the role.
  • Quotes
    [from "James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences" page 360]: My voice is for hire. My endorsement is not for hire. I will do a voice-over, but I cannot endorse without making a different kind of commitment. My politics are very personal and subjective.
  • Trademarks
      Famous for his deep authoritative voice, used most famously for impressive roles as leaders like Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and Mufasa both in The Lion King (1994) and The Lion King (2019).
  • Nickname
    • Todd
  • Salaries
      Coming to America
      (1988)
      $900,000

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