Few actors have had careers as rich and varied as that ofJames Earl Jones. Through poetry and acting, he overcame a childhood stutter to be one of the few people to achieve an EGOT- winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. The New York Times described him as “one of America’s most versatile actors in a stage, film, and television career”. It’s a fitting appraisal, as he’s done serious dramas, fanciful sci-fi, dark fantasy, wacky comedies, and children’s movies.
Through one role or another, he’s left his mark on audiences worldwide. To commemorate the star, these are just a few of themost iconic movie performances by James Earl Jones.
8The Great White Hope
A Boxer Brought Down by Love
James Earl Jones’ first cinematic performance was as a cameo in the famous war comedyDr Strangelove, but his breakout role was as the boxer Jack Jefferson inThe Great White Hope. Based on the life of Jack Johnson, it was about Jefferson managing to maintain his winning streak until the press and audiences alike were searching for ‘the great white hope’ to take the heavyweight title back from him.
But he pushes his luck whenhe falls for Eleanor Bachman, which gradually causes both of their downfalls. 1910s America could handle him beating up white men, but not him loving a white woman. After winning a Tony for the role in the original stage play, his movie performance earned him his first Oscar nomination, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Male Newcomer, and more movie roles to come.
7Claudine
A Kindly Garbageman Looking for Love
FollowingThe Great White Hope, Jones took part inClaudine, a (then) more modern drama about social inequality. The titular character, played by Diahann Carroll, is a 36-year-old mother of 6 children reliant on welfare and a poorly paying housekeeping job to keep her family afloat. She falls for Rupert ‘Roop’ Marshall (Jones), a cheery garbage collector, but their love comes with a few obstacles.
Her children don’t trust him, thinking he’ll mistreat her like her previous partners, and her social worker will cut her benefits if she admits she’s in a relationship. On-screen, it’s a sweet romcom with laughs to go with the heartstring-tugging as Roop and Claudine attempt to overcome their obstacles. Though its themes of systemic inequality, marriage, and the welfare system give it an edge its fluffier rivals don’t have.
6Star Wars
The Most Famous Sith Lord
Surprisingly, Jones didn’t receive credit for voicing Darth Vader in theStar Warsmovies untilReturn of the Jedi. Not that he minded it at first, as at the time he felt like his voiceover was more like overlaying a special effect. George Lucas felt he could pull off a more intimidating tone than Vader’s physical actor, David Prowse, while being a newer, less familiar voice than Orson Welles, his first casting choice.
Today, it’s hard to imagine anyone else portraying the character. Jones’ tone is as synonymous with Vader as lightsabers are to Jedis, providing the series and cinema in general with some of its most iconic lines. Having long proven his dramatic chops, Jones entered pop culture as Vader, giving him theright amount of menaceto thrill generations ofStar Warsfans.
5Conan the Barbarian
The Dark Servant of the Temple of Set
If playing one famous movie villain wasn’t enough, Jones played another, as Thulsa Doom inConan the Barbarian. He was split between taking the role or appearing in an adaptation of John Gardner’s novelGrendel. When he learnedGrendelwas going to be animated, he went for the live-action role inConan. It was for the best as, while the film is considered a classic today,its reception was more mixedin 1982.
Part of it was down to the acting, as many of its key cast hadn’t acted much before, including rising star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Behind the scenes, Jones was able to give Schwarzenegger pointers on how to improve. On-scene, his cold, calculating villain made a nice contrast to Conan, controlling his followers like a cult leader as he ponders the ‘Riddle of Steel’ and what truly makes it strong.
4Coming to America
A King Too Stuck in Tradition to See What His Son Wants
One of Jones’ hallmarks was being able to give his characters gravitas. His Vader and Doom sounded regal and authoritative. Though, asClaudineshowed, he could show off his comedic charm as well. InComing to America, he managed to combine both these elements for his role as King Jaffe Joffer of Zamunda. Where he misinterprets his son’s desire to find love as an opportunity to go abroad and “sow his royal oats”.
He fits the role of a royal like a glove, balancing the king’s arrogance with a self-aware charisma that makes him one of the most entertaining characters in the film (“Believe me, I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience”). Its long-awaited sequel,Coming 2 America, would prove to be his last cinematic role, where he brought back this combo in depicting the ailing king organizing his own funeral before he dies to ensure it’s as bombastic as a king deserves.
3Matewan
A Scab Caught Between Who He Should Support
Between sci-fi epics andEddie Murphy comedies, Jones still took part in serious dramatic efforts. One of his more unsung appearances was inMatewan, a movie about the miners’ strike in the West Virginian town in 1920. The movie primarily follows Chris Cooper’s Joe Kenehan, who tries to organize the workers against the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency.
Jones plays ‘Few Clothes’ Johnson, a black miner who acts as a scab for the company. He offers an alternate dilemma, as neither he nor the other black miners can afford to strike, as the white ones on strike would still be earning more than them after their pay cuts. But his optimism and sympathy eventually see him aid Kenehan as the Baldwin-Felts crack down on him. It’s a good example of how solidarity can help overcome corruption.
2Field of Dreams
A Bitter Author Regains His Spirit
In a weird turn of events, the original novelField of Dreamsis based on,Shoeless Joe, saw Ray Kinsella bringCatcher in the Ryeauthor J.D Salinger to his baseball field. The real-life Salinger was not impressed and vowed to sue anyone who adapted his fictional counterpart into any other medium. So, the studio remade him as Terrence Mann and got Jones to play the part.
His reclusive author starts off as an embittered figure, who Kinsella first hears about at a PTA meeting over whether to ban his books from schools. Though he lightens up as he comes to believe in the ghosts that inhabit Kinsella’s baseball field, and finds his own peace among them. As corny as it can be, Jones takes the edge off by being a harder nut for Kinsella to crack before he gives his odd cause a chance.
1The Lion King
The True King of the Pridelands
After passing on an animated project to appear inConan, and playing a king inComing to America, Jones returned to a regal role in his most famous animated appearance. He felt Mufasa inThe Lion Kingbecame more of a “dopey dad” than a grand king over the course of the production, though it doesn’t strictly come off that way in the movie.
He is more lighthearted in life, being as Disney as a Disney character can be. However, Jones brings that royal grandeur back to Mufasa when he appears to Simba in the sky, urging him to reclaim his destiny from his uncle Scar. To 70s and 80s kids, he was the ultimate villain, playing Vader and Doom. For 90s kids, he became the ultimate mentor in Mufasa, which he’d reprise for one ofThe Simpsons’ best gags as well.
