Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi on January 17, 1931, James Earl Jones is an American film and stage actor. He was educated at the University of Michigan, majoring in pre-med. He also excelled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He discovered he wasn’t cut out to become a doctor, and instead refocused on drama.
James Earl Jones’ acting career began on stage, being a stage carpenter before turning into an actor at the Ramsdell Theatre in Michigan. In 1955, he performed his first portrayal of Othello. His film debut was as the young Lt. Lothar Zogg in 1964’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Jones’ first major role was his portrayal of the boxer Jack Johnson in the film adaptation of the Broadway play The Great White Hope. He was then nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1969, he was part of the crew making test films for a children’s series called Sesame Street. He is often cited as the first celebrity guest on the series, which debuted that year.
Best known for his sinister voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, James Earl Jones also lent his deep basso tone to the character of Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King. He was once again asked to voice Mufasa in the sequel The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride , as well as the Emperor of Night in the 1987 Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night. Jones has also done several guest voice work for The Simpsons, and is also credited in the movie Robots.
Other roles that he is noted for include Terence Mann in the baseball movie Field of Dreams in 1989. He was also cast as King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America, as well as being Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red October. In 1993, he played Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot. James Earl Jones was also the villain Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian, and has also appeared in the TV mini-series Roots: The Next Generations.
He has won Tony Awards for his stage performances, especially in 1969’s The Great White Hope and 1987’s Fences.