James Earl Jones: Career in Photos, From 'Star Wars' to 'Lion King'
James Earl Jones, who died at age 93 on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable talents and voices. From the evil Darth Vader from George Lucas’ “Star Wars” to the regal Mufasa from Disney’s The Lion King,” Jones’ deep baritone was a commanding and dominant presence wherever he appeared. In live-action, he had roles in “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Matewan” (1987), “Coming to America” (1988), “Field of Dreams” (1989), “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), “The Sandlot” (1993) and many more.
He won two Tony Awards, for “The Great White Hope” (1969) and “Fences” (1987), and two Primetime Emmys in the same year, for “Heat Wave” (1991) and “Gabriel’s Fire” (1991). Jones rounded out his EGOT status, which only a handful of artists have ever earned, with a Grammy for best spoken word and a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2011.
More from Variety
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” Jones told The New York Times in 2014. “I still consider myself a novice.”
Best of Variety
The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Al Pacino to Lisa Marie Presley
From Taylor and Travis to Oasis: The Best Couples Costumes to Wear This Halloween
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’
Already a stage actor for several years after making his Broadway debut in the 1958 production of “Sunrise At Campobello,” Jones’ first credit in a feature film was Stanley Kubrick’s atomic age satire.
‘King Lear’
Before entering the voice recording booth, James Earl Jones was best known as one of the premier Shakespeare actors of his generation. He starred in a production of “Lear,” acting alongside Paul Sorvino, René Auberjonois and Raul Julia, for New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park.
‘Star Wars’
Jones was paid $7,000 to lend his voice to Darth Vader in George Lucas’ blockbuster. He declined screen credit for that film and its sequel, 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” out of deference to the actor who played the role on screen, David Prowse. However, the villainous fallen Jedi would come to be the defining character of Jones’ film career, reprising the role in Lucas’ prequel trilogy as well as Disney’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
‘Exorcist II: The Heretic’
Jones plays Kokumo, a locust researcher and former possession victim, in John Boorman’s follow-up to the horror classic.
‘Roots: The Next Generation’
Jones featured in ABC’s landmark historical drama miniseries as a version of author Alex Haley, who wrote the program’s source novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.”
‘Conan the Barbarian’
Jones faced off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of the action star’s earliest roles, playing the ruthless conquerer Thulsa Doom.
‘Othello’
Even as he became a frequent screen actor, Jones would often return to the stage. In 1982, he starred in another production of “Othello,” one of his earliest lead roles in the theater. The cast also included Christopher Plummer as Iago and Dianne Wiest as Desdemona.
‘Matewan’
Jones received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his performance in John Sayles’ classic labor drama, which follows the events around a coal strike in 1920.
‘Coming to America’
Jones’ blockbuster run in the ’80s continued with the Eddie Murphy comedy, in which he played King Jaffe Joffer, the royal ruler of the nation of Zamunda and father to Murphy’s pampered prince Akeem.
‘Fences’
Jones earned his second Tony for his performance in the original Broadway production of the August Wilson play. Awards were also won in the categories of best play, best performance by a featured actress for Mary Alice and best direction of a play. Frankie Faison and Courtney B. Vance received supporting actor nominations.
‘Field of Dreams’
Jones featured in the best picture-nominated sports drama, playing activist and author Terence Mann, who comes back around to the sport of baseball.
‘The Hunt for Red October’
Jones played the deputy director of the CIA in John McTiernan’s submarine suspense classic, acting among a stacked cast including Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Tim Curry, Sam Neill and Courtney B. Vance.
‘The Sandlot’
Another baseball classic for Jones. The veteran portrayed a formal pro ballplayer who owns the fearsome canine next door to the field.
‘The Lion King’
Jones turned in another iconic voice performance as Mufasa in the Disney animated classic — a story that has Shakespearean roots of its own. The actor would reprise the role in Jon Favreau’s CG-animated remake in 2019.
‘Everwood’
Jones earned an Emmy nomination for best guest actor in a drama series for his turn in Season 2 of the small town drama series.
‘Coming 2 America’
Jones reunited with Eddie Murphy for the decades-in-the-works sequel to their comedy classic. His performance as King Jaffe Joffer in the 2021 sequel marks the actor’s final screen credit.
