James Earl Jones
Born: 1931-01-17 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA
Died: 2024-09-09
Known For: Acting
Biography
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen, and "one of the greatest actors in American history". Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He 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 Honorary Academy Award in 2011. His deep voice has been praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects.
Filmography
2025
- Indiana Jones Adventure | Disneyland Resort as Mara (voice)
2024
- Mufasa: The Lion King ... (In Memory Of)
- Butterfly in the Sky as Guest Narrator (archive footage)
- BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy as Self (archive footage)
2022
- Obi-Wan Kenobi as Darth Vader (voice)
2021
- Coming 2 America as King Jaffe Joffer
- Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street as Self (archive footage)
2019
- The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Movies That Made Us as Self (archive footage)
- Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
- On Broadway as Self (archive footage)
- Words from a Bear as Self
- The Space: Theatre of Survival as Narrator
2018
- Warning Shot as Pendleton
2017
- The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands as Mufasa (voice)
2016
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Mufasa (voice)
2015
- Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal as Darth Vader (voice)
- August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand as Self
- Driving Miss Daisy as Hoke Colburn
2014
- Star Wars Rebels as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Ruben
- Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion as Darth Vader (voice)
2013
- Blackfish as Self (archive footage)
- Gimme Shelter as Frank McCarthy
- Muse of Fire as Self
- Milius as Self
2012
2011
2010
- Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey as Admiral (voice)
2009
- Jack and the Beanstalk as The Giant (voice)
- Waking Sleeping Beauty as Self (archive footage)
2008
- Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins as Papa Jenkins
2007
- The Big Bang Theory as James Earl Jones
- Earth as Narrator (voice)
- Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson as Self
- John, Paul, George and Ben as Narrator
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- Scary Movie 4 as Narrator (uncredited)
- Click as Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)
- The Benchwarmers as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays as Jack Jefferson (segment "The Great White Hope") / Troy Maxson (segment "Fences")
- The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy as Narrator
- Searching for Orson as Self
2005
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)
- Robots as Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)
- The Sandlot 2 as Mr. Mertle
- Hollywood's Greatest Villains as Self
- By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Narrator
- The Reading Room as William
2004
- House as Dibala
- Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy as Self
- The Story of Star Wars as Darth Vader (archive footage)
- Nine Dog Christmas as Storyteller (voice)
- No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat as Self
- Black Indians: An American Story as Narrator
2003
- Two and a Half Men as James Earl Jones
- The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror as Maggie Simpson (voice)
- Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October' as Self
- The Great Year as Narrator
2002
- Everwood as Will Cleveland
- Fredericksburg: A Documentary Film as Narrator
2001
- According to Jim as Royal Flush Voice (voice)
- Finder's Fee as Avery Phillips
- Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street as Mister (voice)
- Feast of All Saints as Older Marcel
- Disney's American Legends as Narrator
- Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World as Self
2000
- Fantasia 2000 as Self - Host
- Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' as Self
- Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light
- Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' as Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
- Ennis' Gift as Self
- The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove as Self
- Antietam: A Documentary Film as Narrator
1999
- Our Friend, Martin as Daddy King (voice)
- The Annihilation of Fish as Fish
- Undercover Angel as The Judge
- Santa and Pete as Grandpa Nicholas
- On the Q.T. as Leo
- Summer's End as Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely
1998
- Will & Grace as James Earl Jones
- The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as Mufasa (voice)
- Merlin as Rock of Ages
- Primary Colors as CNN Voiceover (voice)
1997
- Stargate SG-1 as Unas (Voice)
- Gang Related as Arthur Baylor
- Casper: A Spirited Beginning as Kibosh (voice)
- What the Deaf Man Heard as Archibald Thacker
- The Second Civil War as Jim Kalla
- Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
- Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery as Self
- Hitler's Forgotten Victims as Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
- Alone as Grey
- Good Luck as James Bing
- Afro Promo as Self (archive footage)
1996
- 3rd Rock from the Sun as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Looking for Richard as Self - Interviewee
- A Family Thing as Ray Murdock
- Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault as Dr. McDuffie
- Timepiece as Lawrence
- Corwin as Self
1995
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Dakkar (voice)
- Judge Dredd as Narrator (uncredited)
- Signs and Wonders as Diamond
- Jefferson in Paris as Madison Hemings
- Under One Roof as Neb Langston
- Cry, the Beloved Country as Rev. Stephen Kumalo
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Host
- Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable as Mufasa
- People: A Musical Celebration as The Storyteller (voice)
- Who's in Rabbit's House? as Narrator (voice)
1994
- Touched by an Angel as The Angel of Angels
- The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
- Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult as James Earl Jones (uncredited)
- Clear and Present Danger as Admiral James Greer
- The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics as Host
- Clean Slate as John Dolby
- Confessions: Two Faces of Evil as Charles Lloyd
- The Making of the Lion King as Self
- The Vernon Johns Story as Vernon Johns
- Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' as Narrator
- Africa: The Serengeti as Narrator
- Gangs: Turning the Corner as Self
1993
- Frasier as Norman Royster
- Homicide: Life on the Street as Felix Wilson
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Franklin Stern
- The Sandlot as Mr. Mertle
- Sommersby as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
- The Meteor Man as Earnest Moses
- Michael Jackson: Dangerous - The Short Films as Self (voice) (uncredited)
- Excessive Force as Jake
- Percy & Thunder as Percy Banks
- Hallelujah as Old Man Taylor
- Dreamrider as Bill Perry
1992
- Picket Fences as Bryant Thomas
- Sneakers as Mr. Bernard Abbott
- Patriot Games as Adm. James Greer
- Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)
- Lincoln as Narrator (voice)
- The JFK Conspiracy as Self - Host
1991
- Pros and Cons as Gabriel Bird
- True Identity as James Earl Jones
- Scorchers as Bear
- When It Was a Game as (voice)
- Visitors from the Unknown as Narrator (voice)
- Convicts as Ben Johnson
- Portrait of Castro's Cuba as Host/Narrator
1990
- Law & Order as Defense Attorney Horace McCoy
- The Hunt for Red October as Vice ADM James Greer
- Gabriel's Fire as Gabriel Bird
- The Ambulance as Lt. Spencer
- By Dawn's Early Light as Alice
- Heat Wave as Junius Johnson
- Grim Prairie Tales as Morrison
- Last Flight Out as Al Topping
- Ivory Hunters as Inspector Nkuru
- Teach 109 as Dr. Winston
- Terrorgram as Retribution (voice)
1989
- The Simpsons as Narrator (voice)
- Field of Dreams as Terrence Mann
- Best of the Best as Frank Couzo
- Three Fugitives as Dugan
- Long Ago and Far Away as Host
- 11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried as Narrator
- The Hunting of the Snark as Narrator (voice)
- Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark as Narrator
1988
- Garfield and Friends as Diablo
- Coming to America as King Jaffe Joffer
- Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues as Narrator (voice)
1987
- Mathnet as Chief Thad Green (voice)
- Gardens of Stone as Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson
- Matewan as 'Few Clothes' Johnson
- Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night as Emperor of the Night (voice)
- A House Divided
1986
- L.A. Law as Lee Atkins
- Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold as Umslopogaas
- Soul Man as Professor Banks
- Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp as Genie / Narrator
- The Lone Star Kid as Holmes
- My Little Girl as Ike Bailey
1985
- The Atlanta Child Murders as Major Walker
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- Me & Mom
- Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates
- City Limits as Albert
- Moses as Pharaoh
1984
- Highway to Heaven as Gabe Wilson
- CBS Schoolbreak Special as Detective Robb
- The Vegas Strip War as Jack Madrid
- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears as Narrator
1983
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Return of the Jedi as Darth Vader (voice)
1982
- American Playhouse as Dr. Winston (segment 'Teach 109')
- Faerie Tale Theatre as Genie / Narrator (voice)
- Conan the Barbarian as Thulsa Doom
- The Flight of Dragons as Ommadon (voice)
- Night of 100 Stars as Self
- Amy and the Angel as Gabriel
- Blood Tide as Frye
1981
- The Bushido Blade as The Prisoner
- Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
- Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
- There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues as himself, voice
- God's Trombones as Narrator (voice)
- The Creation as Narrator (voice)
1980
- The Empire Strikes Back as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
- Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones as Father Divine
- The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story as Dane Oliver
- The Me Nobody Knows as Self
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as Alex Haley
- Paris as Woody Paris
- Paul Robeson as Paul Robeson
- A Walking Tour of Sesame Street as Self - Host
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- The Magic of David Copperfield
- The Star Wars Holiday Special as Darth Vader (voice)
- Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement as Self
- The Story of the Faithful Wookiee as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1977
- Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
- Jesus of Nazareth as Balthazar
- Exorcist II: The Heretic as Older Kokumo
- A Piece of the Action as Joshua Burke
- The Last Remake of Beau Geste as Sheikh
- The Greatest as Malcolm X
- The Making of Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
- The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened as Morris Bird, Jr.
1976
- Swashbuckler as Nick Debrett
- The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings as Leon
- The River Niger as Johnny Williams
1975
- Vegetable Soup as Long John Spoilsport
- The UFO Incident as Barney Hill
- Deadly Hero as Rabbit Shazam
1973
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- Black Omnibus as Self - Host
1971
- Great Performances as King Lear
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream as Narrator
1970
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
- End of the Road as Doctor D
- The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson
1969
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
1967
- The Comedians as Dr. Magiot
1966
1964
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb as Lt. Lothar Zogg
1963
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Dr. Kildare as Dr. Lou Rush
- The Defenders as Lieutenant Andrews
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Winner / Performer
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Archibald Thacker
1948
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee / Presenter