Photo by Stuart Crawford, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” – James Earl Jones.
In the wake of the death of James Earl Jones at 93 on September 9th, 2024, the world found itself poorer for having lost one of the most cherished legends of its time. Having a powerful bass vocal and a knack for commanding attention on stage, Jones was a giant in the entertainment field. He worked for over sixty years and his impact on the film, television, and theater industries can be felt even now and in the years to come.
Overcoming Adversity to Become a Legend
James Earl Jones’ story is nothing short of inspirational. Jones grew up in Arkabutla, Mississippi, and was born in 1931, he had a severe stutter that rendered him almost speechless during his childhood. This particular difficulty, however, was not Brooke Jones’s to overcome until high school, due to an exceptional teacher, Sharon Goman, who supported Jones’s Efforts and encouraged him to perform. This personal victory over adversity set the tone for the true greatness of his career.
Jones had to struggle to realize his dreams and become a star. The difficulties that he met included race as a Black actor in America in the 20th century besides other personal challenges he underwent. Nonetheless, Jones emerged to be among the most admired actors of his generation, which was a milestone for Black actors in different roles that they had been used to.
A Career of Iconic Roles
Let it be stated that Jones is one actor who could defy all acting categories, what with his excellent mastery in versatile acting. In the early stage, his work in The Great White Hope, (1968) in which he portrayed the first Black heavyweight boxing champion gave him a Tony Award and an Oscar nod. This role however turned out to be very important in his career and began the ladder to the elite league of actors.
However, he was more popular because of the voice acting work that he did for many TV shows and movies. Still, the movie that made Jones an iconic superstar worldwide is none other than the 1977 Star Wars wherein he played the role of the powerful but evil Darth Vader with a memorable powerful deep voice. Even though you never actually saw Jones on screen he was able to breathe life into the character of Vader through his voice which people still remember from the series. His other king was that of King Mufasa in the Lion King (1994); a further evidence of how he humorously and powerfully gave life to the animated characters.
In addition to these well-known parts, Jones had various roles: he acted as Othello and Macbeth in Shakespeare’s plays, a blind ex-baseball player in a children’s film, The Sandlot (1993), and historians in documentaries. For his first appearances on the big screen, his impressive part in Stanley Kubrick’s Black comedy film Dr. Strangelove in 1964 – and, the first Black president in The Man in 1972 was an indicator that he was ready to pave the way in Hollywood.
James Earl Jones and Jill Clayburgh in Los Angeles stage production of “Othello”, 1971. Source: Kathleen Ballard, Los Angeles Times, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A Legacy of Excellence
This was not the end of James Earl Jones’ career; he has done much more than just ship and shows. He was blessed with special success in the duration of his successful professional career in show business to become one of those who are involved in different types of entertainment who are favorably classified as EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award Winner. He was honored with two Emmy Awards in the year 1991, an honorary Oscar in the same year, and a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2017.
While Jones’ accolades are impressive it’s his role in the desegregation of Hollywood that his true legacy is found. The actor took almost full responsibility for changing Hollywood’s portrayal of Black actors by constantly demonstrating that talent does not have color. Certainly, for the first Black actor to have a recurring role on a daytime soap opera (As the World Turns) and through his various phenomenal stage works, he paved the way for future generations of Blacks to be accepted on the big screen and television.
Thus, even in the final period of his career, which, however, could hardly be called unproductive, Jones made a great impression. In 2022, Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed to James Earl Jones Theatre, to honor his career and achievements in American theater throughout the years. Fuentes’s drive to deliver quality performance, self-effacing disposition, and determination to excel would see him leave a legacy of an exceptional actor and a hardworking icon.
A Humble Giant
Despite his monumental success, Jones remained grounded. His humility was best captured in a 2014 interview with the New York Times when he said, “The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing.” This philosophy reflects his understanding of the ever-evolving nature of art and his unyielding commitment to learning and growing as an artist.
James Earl Jones in a production of Driving Miss Daisy in 2010.Eva Rinaldi from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A Lasting Impact on Future Generations
The measures that James Earl Jones instituted as his contribution will remain eternal. Thus, his transformation from the boy who was afraid to speak due to a massive stutter to one of the most recognizable voices in the world is reason enough for actors-to-be not to lose hope. Through his films and theatrical endeavors in both the commercial and the avant-garde, he elevated the possibility of what they could do to a new plateau for the next generation of actors.
In addition to the acting, Jones’s participation in films such as Roots (1977) and performances in classical plays enriched the problem of race, history, and otherness in the processes of cultural representation and interpretation. He depicted muscles and decency in most of the roles that eradicated racism and set an example for Black artists across the board.
James Earl Jones remained a monumental entity in an area that tends to be dictated by so-called fads and gimmicks. His deep, powerful voice will remain in the history of cinema and theater, and his impact will never be forgotten by those, who were lucky to see this incredible man’s performance.
His immediate family consists of a son Flynn Earl Jones but the extended Jones family comprises his fans across the world. The entertainment industry and the world at large have been robbed of a giant, yet, his works will forever keep everyone encouraged.
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
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