James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones, born in 1931, American stage and motion-picture actor, noted for his particularly deep voice. His distinctive voice has become well known through his character of Darth Vader in the films Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983); as Mufasa in The Lion King (1994); and through many television commercials. He was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi. Raised in Michigan by his maternal grandparents, Jones overcame a stutter while in high school and won a scholarship at the University of Michigan, where he eventually studied drama. He moved to New York City in 1955 to pursue a stage career, and was united with his father, actor Robert Earl Jones, who had left the family before his birth. After years of playing bit parts, Jones won recognition for his performance in Jean Genet's The Blacks (1961) and in 1962 won an Obie Award (given for off-Broadway theater work) as best actor. In 1964 he appeared in Othello, by English writer William Shakespeare, for the first time, a role he repeated several times.

Jones won national recognition and a Tony Award in 1969 for his portrayal of Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight boxing champion, in The Great White Hope, and he won a second Tony for best actor in 1987 for his performance in Fences, written by American August Wilson and set in the early civil-rights era in America (mid 1950s and 1960s). His television performances include the detective series “Paris” (1979-1980); “Gabriel's Fire” (1990-1991), for which he won an Emmy Award in 1991; and the crime series “Pros and Cons” (1991-1992). Jones has also appeared in numerous films, including Dr. Strangelove (1964), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Gardens of Stone (1987), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Clear and Present Danger (1994).