James Earl Jones
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.
Gallery
Known For
Acting History
2024
BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy as Self (archive footage)
2024Butterfly in the Sky as Guest Narrator (archive footage)
2023Obi-Wan Kenobi - The Patterson Cut as Darth Vader (Voice)
2022Obi-Wan Kenobi as Darth Vader (voice)
2021Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street as Self (archive footage)
2021Coming 2 America as King Jaffe Joffer
2019Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Darth Vader (voice)
2019The Movies That Made Us as Self (archive footage)
2019On Broadway as Self (archive footage)
2019Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
2019The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
2019The Space: Theatre of Survival as Narrator
2019Words from a Bear as Self
2018Warning Shot as Pendleton
2017Broadway: The Next Generation as Self
2017The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands as Mufasa (voice)
2016Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Darth Vader (voice)
2016God Bless You, Mr Rosewater as Kilgore Trout
2016The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Mufasa (voice)
2015Driving Miss Daisy as Hoke Colburn
2015Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal as Darth Vader (voice)
2015August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand as Self
2014Star Wars Rebels as Darth Vader (voice)
2014Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion as Darth Vader (voice)
2014The Angriest Man in Brooklyn as Ruben
2013Gimme Shelter as Frank McCarthy
2013Muse of Fire as Self
2013Blackfish as Self (archive footage)
2013Milius as Self
2012An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road as Self
2012Joe Papp in Five Acts as Self
2011Strange Septembers: The Hill Abduction & the Exeter Encounter as Himself
2010Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey as Admiral (voice)
2009Jack and the Beanstalk as The Giant (voice)
2009Waking Sleeping Beauty as Self (archive footage)
2008Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins as Papa Jenkins
2007Earth as Narrator (voice)
2007The Big Bang Theory as Self
2007Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson as Self
2007John, Paul, George and Ben as Narrator
2006Searching for Orson as Self
2006The One Show as Self - Guest
2006Click as Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)
2006The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays as Jack Jefferson (segment "The Great White Hope") / Troy Maxson (segment "Fences")
2006Scary Movie 4 as Narrator (uncredited)
2006The Benchwarmers as Darth Vader (voice)
2005Hollywood's Greatest Villains as Self
2005The Sandlot 2 as Mr. Mertle
2005The Reading Room as William
2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)
2005Robots as Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)
2005By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Narrator
2004House as Dibala
2004No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat as Self
2004Nine Dog Christmas as Storyteller (voice)
2004Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy as Self
2004The Story of Star Wars as Darth Vader (archive footage)
2004Black Indians: An American Story as Narrator
2003The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror as Maggie Simpson (voice)
2003Two and a Half Men as Himself
2003The Great Year as Narrator
2003Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October' as Self
2002Everwood as Will Cleveland
2002Fredericksburg: A Documentary Film as Narrator
2001Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World as Self
2001Feast of All Saints as Older Marcel
2001Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street as Mister (voice)
2001According to Jim as Royal Flush Voice (voice)
2001Finder's Fee as Avery Phillips
2001Disney's American Legends as Narrator
2000Antietam: A Documentary Film as Narrator
2000Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' as Self
2000Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' as Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
2000Summer's End as Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely
2000The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove as Self
2000Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light
2000Fantasia 2000 as Self - Host
1999Santa and Pete as James Earl Jones
1999The Annihilation of Fish as Fish
1999Undercover Angel as The Judge
1999On the Q.T. as Leo
1999Our Friend, Martin as Daddy King (voice)
1998The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as Mufasa (voice)
1998Will & Grace as Self
1998Merlin as Rock of Ages
1998Primary Colors as CNN Voiceover (voice)
1997Alone as Grey
1997The Second Civil War as Jim Kalla
1997What the Deaf Man Heard as Archibald Thacker
1997Gang Related as Arthur Baylor
1997Hitler's Forgotten Victims as Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
1997Casper: A Spirited Beginning as Kibosh (voice)
1997Stargate SG-1 as Unas (Voice)
1997Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
1997Good Luck as James Bing
1997Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery as Self
1997Afro Promo as Self (archive footage)
1996Timepiece as Lawrence
1996Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault as Dr. McDuffie
1996Looking for Richard as Self - Interviewee
1996Corwin as Self
1996A Family Thing as Ray Murdock
19963rd Rock from the Sun as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1995Cry, the Beloved Country as Rev. Stephen Kumalo
1995Who's in Rabbit's House? as Narrator (voice)
1995Judge Dredd as Narrator (uncredited)
1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
1995The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Host
1995Jefferson in Paris as Madison Hemings
1995Under One Roof as Neb Langston
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Dakkar (voice)
1995Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable as Mufasa
1995Signs and Wonders as Diamond
1995People: A Musical Celebration as The Storyteller (voice)
1994Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' as Narrator
1994Touched by an Angel as The Angel of Angels
1994Clear and Present Danger as Admiral James Greer
1994The Making of the Lion King as Self
1994The Lion King as Mufasa (voice)
1994The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics as Host
1994Clean Slate as John Dolby
1994Africa: The Serengeti as Narrator
1994Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult as James Earl Jones (uncredited)
1994Gangs: Turning the Corner as Self
1994Confessions: Two Faces of Evil as Charles Lloyd
1994The Vernon Johns Story as Vernon Johns
1993Hallelujah as Old Man Taylor
1993Michael Jackson: Dangerous - The Short Films as Self (voice) (uncredited)
1993Frasier as Norman Royster
1993Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Franklin Stern
1993Percy & Thunder as Percy Banks
1993The Meteor Man as Earnest Moses
1993Dreamrider as Bill Perry
1993Excessive Force as Jake
1993The Sandlot as Mr. Mertle
1993Sommersby as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
1993Homicide: Life on the Street
1992Lincoln as Narrator (voice)
1992Picket Fences as Bryant Thomas
1992Sneakers as Mr. Bernard Abbott
1992Patriot Games as Adm. James Greer
1992Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)
1992The JFK Conspiracy as Self - Host
1991Pros and Cons as Gabriel Bird
1991True Identity as James Earl Jones
1991When It Was a Game as (voice)
1991Scorchers as Bear
1991Portrait of Castro's Cuba as Host/Narrator
1991Visitors from the Unknown as Narrator (voice)
1991Convicts as Ben Johnson
1990Grim Prairie Tales as Morrison
1990Law & Order as Defense Attorney Horace McCoy
1990Gabriel's Fire as Gabriel Bird
1990Ivory Hunters as Inspector Nkuru
1990Heat Wave as Junius Johnson
1990Last Flight Out as Al Topping
1990By Dawn's Early Light as Alice
1990The Ambulance as Lt. Spencer
1990The Hunt for Red October as Vice ADM James Greer
1990Teach 109 as Dr. Winston
1990Terrorgram as Retribution (voice)
1989The Simpsons as Narrator (voice)
1989The Simpsons as Moving Man / Serak the Preparer / Narrator (voice)
1989The Simpsons as Maggie Simpson (voice)
198911-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried as Narrator
1989Best of the Best as Frank Couzo
1989Field of Dreams as Terrence Mann
1989Long Ago and Far Away as Host
1989Three Fugitives as Dugan
1989Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark as Narrator
1989The Hunting of the Snark as Narrator (voice)
1988Garfield and Friends as Diablo
1988Coming to America as King Jaffe Joffer
1988Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues as Narrator (voice)
1987Matewan as 'Few Clothes' Johnson
1987Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night as Emperor of the Night (voice)
1987Gardens of Stone as Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson
1987A House Divided
1987Mathnet as Chief Thad Green (voice)
1987Mathnet as Chief Thad Green
1987Mathnet as Chief Thad Greene
1986Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold as Umslopogaas
1986Soul Man as Professor Banks
1986L.A. Law as Lee Atkins
1986My Little Girl as Ike Bailey
1986Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp as Genie / Narrator
1986The Lone Star Kid as Holmes
1985Moses as Pharaoh
1985City Limits as Albert
1985Me & Mom
1985Night of 100 Stars II as Self
1985The Atlanta Child Murders as Major Walker
1985Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates
1984The Vegas Strip War as Jack Madrid
1984Highway to Heaven as Gabe Wilson
1984CBS Schoolbreak Special as Detective Robb
1984Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears as Narrator
1983Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
1983Return of the Jedi as Darth Vader (voice)
1982Blood Tide as Frye
1982Amy and the Angel as Gabriel
1982Faerie Tale Theatre as Genie / Narrator (voice)
1982The Flight of Dragons as Ommadon (voice)
1982Conan the Barbarian as Thulsa Doom
1982Night of 100 Stars as Self
1981Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
1981The Creation as Narrator (voice)
1981The Bushido Blade as The Prisoner
1981There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues as himself, voice
1981Beauty and the Beast as Narrator (voice)
1981God's Trombones as Narrator (voice)
1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story as Dane Oliver
1980The Empire Strikes Back as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1980The Me Nobody Knows as Self
1980Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones as Father Divine
1979Paris as Woody Paris
1979A Walking Tour of Sesame Street as Self - Host
1979Roots: The Next Generations as Alex Haley
1979Paul Robeson as Paul Robeson
1978Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement as Self
1978The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
1978The Star Wars Holiday Special as Darth Vader (voice)
1978The Story of the Faithful Wookiee as Darth Vader (voice)
1978The Magic of David Copperfield
1977The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened as Morris Bird, Jr.
1977A Piece of the Action as Joshua Burke
1977The Making of Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1977Exorcist II: The Heretic as Older Kokumo
1977The Last Remake of Beau Geste as Sheikh
1977Star Wars as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1977The Greatest as Malcolm X
1977Jesus of Nazareth as Balthazar
1976Swashbuckler as Nick Debrett
1976The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings as Leon
1976The River Niger as Johnny Williams
1975Deadly Hero as Rabbit Shazam
1975The UFO Incident as Barney Hill
1975Vegetable Soup as Long John Spoilsport
1974Dinah! as Self
1974The Cay as Timothy
1974Claudine as Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall
1974King Lear as King Lear
1973The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
1973Black Omnibus as Self - Host
1972The Man as Douglass Dilman
1972Malcolm X as Biographical Narration (voice)
1971Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream as Narrator
1971Great Performances as King Lear
1970The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson
1970King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
1970End of the Road as Doctor D
1969Sesame Street
1968The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
1967The Comedians as Dr. Magiot
1966Tarzan
1964Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb as Lt. Lothar Zogg
1963East Side/West Side
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
1962The Merv Griffin Show as Self
1961The Mike Douglas Show as Self
1961The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
1961Dr. Kildare as Dr. Lou Rush
1961The Defenders as Lieutenant Andrews
1961The Defenders as Reverend Harris Bonham
1956Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
1956Tony Awards as Self - Winner/ Performer
1956Tony Awards as Self - Winner
1956Tony Awards as Self - Nominee
1956Tony Awards as Self - Nominee/Presenter
1956Tony Awards as Self (archive footage)
1956Tony Awards as Self - Winner/Performer
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Archibald Thacker
1948Lamp Unto My Feet
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee / Presenter