James.Earl Jones
(1931 - )One of America’s most beloved stage, film & TV stars; he is both a Superstar and a character actor. He evokes a presence that makes people want to be a friend of his; to know him personally! He is exceptionally gifted as an actor and can handle the lead or a small character role on stage or in a film. As likable as he is, he can play a nasty villain with style and panache as he did in “Star Wars” as the voice of Darth Vader or “Conan the Barbarian” as Thulsa Doom. His imposing tall frame, husky girth, handsome face with stunning blue-green eyes and graying black hair are recognizable by millions, but it is that voice, that resonant, powerful bass voice that stands out. He is pure and simple, a national treasure. He was born Todd Jones on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. As a child he was estranged from his prizefighter father, Robert Earl Jones, and raised by his grandparents on a farm in Dublin, Michigan in Manistee County. He retains the nickname Todd. He had a serious stuttering problem, which caused him to be quite introspective and quiet around other children. The remedy he found for his stuttering was acting. He graduated from Kaleva-Norman-Dickson high school in Bretheren, Michigan. After taking acting lessons he made his acting debut at the Ramsdell Theater in Manistee, Michigan. As an adult he reunited with his father, who also had turned to acting. He attended the University of Michigan and was torn between studying medicine and acting. Lucky for us he chose acting. He later served a hitch in the Army. After the service he enrolled at New York’s American Theatre Wing and was soon making his successful Broadway debut. He was with Joseph Papp’s NY Shakespeare Festival for a time also. He won a Tony for his role in “The Great White Hope” on Broadway and later another Tony for “Fences.” He worked in TV soap operas in the 1960s. His film debut came in Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964) as Lt. Lothar Zogg, Bombardier. His other films included: “The Comedians” (1967) as Dr. Magiot; “End of the Road” (1970) as Doctor D; “King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis” (1970) as Commentator; he reprised his stage role in “The Great White Hope” (1970) as Jack Jefferson, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar; “The Man” (1972) as Douglas Dilman; “Malcolm X” (1972) as Narrator; “Claudine” (1974) as Roop; “Swashbuckler” (1976) as Nick Debrett; “The River Niger” (1976) as Johnny Williams; “Deadly Hero” (1976) as Rabbit; “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings” (1976) as Leon Carter; “Star Wars” (1977) as Voice of Darth Vader; “The Greatest” (1977) as Malcolm X; “A Piece of the Action” (1977) as Joshua Burke; “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) as Voice of Darth Vader; “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Thulsa Doom; “Blood Tide” (1982) as Frye; “Return of the Jedi” (1983) as Voice of Darth Vader; “Soul Man” (1986) as Prof. Banks; “My Little Girl” (1986) as Ike Bailey; “Gardens of Stone” (1987) as ‘Goody’ Nelson; “Matewan” (1987) as ‘Few Clothes’ Johnson; “Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold” (1987) as Umslopogaas; “Coming to America” (1988) with Eddie Murphy, as King Jaffe Joffer; “Field of Dreams” (1989) as Terence Mann, one of his best roles; “Best of the Best” (1989) as Coach Couzo; “The Hunt for Red October” (1990) as Adm. James Greer; the underrated but fine film “The Ambulance” (1990) as Lt. Spencer; “Convicts” (1990) as Ben Johnson; “Scorchers” (1991) as Bear; “Patriot Games” (1992) again as Adm. James Greer; “Sneakers” (1992) as Bernard Abbott; “Excessive Force” (1992) as Jake; “Sommersby” (1993) as Judge Isaacs; “The Sandlot” (1993) as Mr. Mertle, another small but very memorable role; “Meteor Man” (1993) as Mr. Moses; “The Lion King” (1994) as Voice of King Mufasa the lion; “A Clear and Present Danger” (1994) again as Adm. James Greer; “Clean Slate” (1994) as John Dolby; “Jefferson in Paris” (1995) as Madison Hemmings; “Cry the Beloved Country” (1995) as Rev. Stephen Kumalo; “A Family Thing” (1996) as Ray Murdock, another fine performance; “Gang Related” (1997) as Arthur Baylor; “The Annihilation of Fish” (1999) as Fish; “Undercover Angel” (1999) as The Judge; "Our Friend Martin" (1999) as Voice of Daddy King; "On the Q.T." (1999) as Leo; “Finder’s Fee” (2001) as Avery Phillips; “The Papp Project” (2001) as Himself and "2004: A Light Knight's Odyssey" (2004) as The Professor. He has done voice-overs in numerous animated films, documentaries and television series. He has appeared as a regular in the TV series: “The Guiding Light” (1952-present) as Dr. Jim Frazier #2 (1966); “As the World Turns” (1956-present) as Dr. Jerry Turner (1966); “Black Omnibus” (1973) as Host; “Vegetable Soup” (1976) as Long John Spoilsport; Franco Zeffirellis’s “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977) a mini-series as Balthazar; “Roots: The Next Generations” (1979) a mini-series, as Alex Haley; “Paris” (1979) as Det. Woodrow ‘Woody’ Paris; “The Atlanta Child Murders” (1985) as Maj. Walker; “Me and Mom” (1985) as Lou Garfield; “Square One TV” (1987) as Thad Green; “Mathnet” (1987-88) again as Thad Green; “Gabriel’s Fire” (1990-91) as Gabriel Bird; “Under One Roof” (1995) as Neb Langston and “Feast of All Saints” (2001) as Older Marcel. He appeared in TV movies including: “The Cay” (1974); “The U.F.O. Incident” (1975); “Guyana Tragedy: Story of Jim Jones” (1980); “Heat Wave” (1990); “Summer’s End” (1998) and "The Magic 7" (2004) as Voice. He has guested on numerous TV series including: “East Side/West Side”; “The Defenders”; “Dr. Kildare”; “N.Y.P.D.”; “Highway to Heaven”; “L.A. Law”; “The Simpsons”; “Law & Order”; “Picket Fences”; “Touched by an Angel”; “Frasier” and “Homicide: Life on the Street.” He was married to Julienne Marie and divorced. He married Cecilia Hart March 15, 1982 and they remain together. He has a son Flynn Earl Jones. He claims to be a Black Indian which is one descended of both Native American and African heritage. Mr. Jones was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. He is so popular with the American public that appearances on “Late Show with David Letterman” just to read unusual words garner rousing ovations.
From Great Character Actors, Page 9.
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