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
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
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
- The Movies That Made Us as Self (archive footage)
- On Broadway as Self (archive footage)
- Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
- 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)
- God Bless You, Mr Rosewater as Kilgore Trout
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
- Waking Sleeping Beauty as Self (archive footage)
- Jack and the Beanstalk as The Giant (voice)
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
- By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Narrator
- Hollywood's Greatest Villains as Self
- 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)
- Black Indians: An American Story as Narrator
- No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat as Self
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
- Feast of All Saints as Older Marcel
- Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street as Mister (voice)
- 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
- The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove as Self
- Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' as Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
- 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
- On the Q.T. as Leo
- Santa and Pete as Grandpa Nicholas
- 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)
- Casper: A Spirited Beginning as Kibosh (voice)
- Gang Related as Arthur Baylor
- The Second Civil War as Jim Kalla
- Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery as Self
- Alone as Grey
- Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
- What the Deaf Man Heard as Archibald Thacker
- Hitler's Forgotten Victims as Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
- 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
- Corwin as Self
- Timepiece as Lawrence
1995
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Dakkar (voice)
- Judge Dredd as Narrator (uncredited)
- Jefferson in Paris as Madison Hemings
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- Under One Roof as Neb Langston
- The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Host
- Signs and Wonders as Diamond
- Cry, the Beloved Country as Rev. Stephen Kumalo
- People: A Musical Celebration as The Storyteller (voice)
- Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable as Mufasa
- 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
- Clean Slate as John Dolby
- The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics as Host
- Africa: The Serengeti as Narrator
- The Making of the Lion King as Self
- Confessions: Two Faces of Evil as Charles Lloyd
- The Vernon Johns Story as Vernon Johns
- Gangs: Turning the Corner as Self
- Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' as Narrator
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
- Hallelujah as Old Man Taylor
- Percy & Thunder as Percy Banks
- Dreamrider as Bill Perry
1992
- Picket Fences as Bryant Thomas
- Sneakers as Mr. Bernard Abbott
- Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)
- Patriot Games as Adm. James Greer
- Lincoln as Narrator (voice)
- The JFK Conspiracy as Self - Host
1991
- Pros and Cons as Gabriel Bird
- Convicts as Ben Johnson
- True Identity as James Earl Jones
- Scorchers as Bear
- Visitors from the Unknown as Narrator (voice)
- When It Was a Game as (voice)
- 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
- Grim Prairie Tales as Morrison
- Heat Wave as Junius Johnson
- Terrorgram as Retribution (voice)
- Teach 109 as Dr. Winston
- Last Flight Out as Al Topping
- Ivory Hunters as Inspector Nkuru
1989
- The Simpsons as Narrator (voice)
- Field of Dreams as Terrence Mann
- Best of the Best as Frank Couzo
- Long Ago and Far Away as Host
- Three Fugitives as Dugan
- Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark as Narrator
- The Hunting of the Snark as Narrator (voice)
- 11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried 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
- My Little Girl as Ike Bailey
- Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp as Genie / Narrator
- The Lone Star Kid as Holmes
1985
- The Atlanta Child Murders as Major Walker
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- City Limits as Albert
- Me & Mom
- Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates
- 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
- Return of the Jedi as Darth Vader (voice)
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
1982
- Faerie Tale Theatre as Genie / Narrator (voice)
- Conan the Barbarian as Thulsa Doom
- Night of 100 Stars as Self
- The Flight of Dragons as Ommadon (voice)
- Blood Tide as Frye
- Amy and the Angel as Gabriel
1981
- The Bushido Blade as The Prisoner
- Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
- Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
- God's Trombones as Narrator (voice)
- The Creation as Narrator (voice)
- There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues as himself, 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
- A Walking Tour of Sesame Street as Self - Host
- Paul Robeson as Paul Robeson
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- The Star Wars Holiday Special as Darth Vader (voice)
- The Magic of David Copperfield
- Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement as Self
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 Making of Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
- The Greatest as Malcolm X
- The Last Remake of Beau Geste as Sheikh
- 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
- Deadly Hero as Rabbit Shazam
- The UFO Incident as Barney Hill
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)
- The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson
- End of the Road as Doctor D
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