James Earl Jones was an American actor and voice actor, best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars film series by Lucasfilm. After the franchise was acquired by Disney, he reprised his voice role of Vader in Star Wars Rebels, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Rise of Skywalker, and Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Among his other contributions for Disney, he was also well-known for voicing Mufasa in The Lion King (1994). He went on to reprise the role in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, and the 2019 CGI remake directed by Jon Favreau. He was also one of the international hosts in Fantasia 2000. He appeared in True Identity and hosted both American Legends and The Story Behind the Story: The Lion King on the 2002 2-disc DVD of Beauty and the Beast. He also voiced Santa Claus in the Recess episode "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave". He reprised his role as Darth Vader in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and voiced Mara in Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland.
Additionally, he played Duggan in Three Fugitives, the narrator in Judge Dredd, the narrator in Freddie as F.R.O.7, Madison Hemings in Jefferson in Paris, Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian, King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America (and its sequel), Terence Mann in Field of Dreams, Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red October (and its sequels), Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot (and its sequel), Reverend Stephen Kumalo in Cry, the Beloved Country, and the narrator in Scary Movie 4.
Jones was named a Disney Legend. In 2019, he finished his speech with "and may the force be with you."[1]
Outside of Disney, he was best known as the voice of the Cable News Network tagline: "This is CNN."
James Earl Jones passed away on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93.[2] He was a sufferer of type 2 diabetes later in his life. He died surrounded by his family. Mufasa: The Lion King is dedicated to him in memory and remembrance.[3]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Film | Character | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars: A New Hope | Darth Vader | Lucasfilm Ltd. | Voice |
| 1980 | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | |||
| 1983 | Star Wars: Return of the Jedi | |||
| 1994 | The Lion King | Mufasa | Walt Disney Animation Studios | |
| 1998 | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | Disneytoon Studios | ||
| 2000 | Fantasia 2000 | Himself | Walt Disney Animation Studios | Lead actor |
| 2002 | American Legends | Himself | Walt Disney Animation Studios | Lead actor |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith | Darth Vader | Lucasfilm Ltd. | Voice |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar | Mufasa | Disney Television Animation | |
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Darth Vader | Lucasfilm Ltd. | |
| 2019 | The Lion King | Mufasa | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | |
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Darth Vader | Lucasfilm Ltd. | ||
| 2024 | Mufasa: The Lion King | Mufasa (archive recording; dedication) | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Television[]
| Year(s) | Show | Character | Studio | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–2001 | Recess | Santa Claus | Walt Disney Television Animation | ABC Toon Disney Disney Channel Disney XD |
Voice |
| 2014-2018 | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Animation |
Disney XD Disney Channel ABC | |
| 2022 | Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi | Lucasfilm | Disney+ |
Roles[]
_Mufasa_Circle_of_Life.png "The Lion King (2019 film) Mufasa Circle of Life.png (1.97 MB)")
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He was considered for the voice of Santa Claus in The Nightmare Before Christmas, but he turned it down.[4]
- He was also considered for the role of Buck Cluck in Chicken Little, but Garry Marshall was ultimately cast.[5]
- Around his retirement in 2022 and before his death, James Earl Jones signed a deal with Disney to use his voice through AI software in future incarnations of Darth Vader.[6] This software was first used in the 2022 Disney+ series Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.[7]
- Mufasa: The Lion King is dedicated to James Earl Jones, following his death on September 9, 2024.[3] The opening of the film features an abbreviated voiceover of one of his famous speeches as Mufasa: "Look at the stars. Whenever you feel alone, the great kings of the past will always be up there to guide you, and so will I."
References[]
- ↑ "Every Magical Moment from the 2019 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony". D23 (Aug 23, 2019).
- ↑ "James Earl Jones Dies: Revered 'Field Of Dreams' Star & Darth Vader Voice Was 93". Deadline (Sep 9, 2024).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Barry Jenkins on Honoring James Earl Jones in 'Mufasa: The Lion King's' Opening Credits: 'We Had All Lost a Patriarch'". Variety (Dec 9, 2024).
- ↑ "Henry Selick on Directing 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'". The Daily Beast (Oct 29, 2013).
- ↑ "Chicken Little (2005) - Trivia". IMDb.
- ↑ "Darth Vader's voice James Earl Jones dies aged 93 | ABC News". YouTube (Sep 9, 2024).
- ↑ "Darth Vader's Voice Emanated From War-Torn Ukraine". Vanity Fair (Sep 23, 2022).
