Remembering James Earl Jones

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James Earl Jones is an actor who most people of my generation knew originally only from his voice. He gave David Prowse’s Darth Vader the deep tones that made the character’s already formidable stature that sound that could strike fear into the hearts of all who saw those first three Star Wars films. But he was more than just that voice.

So, with his passing, I feel it would be good to look back on the long and wonderful career of a man who could deliver whatever a film needed and deliver it so well.

James Earl Jones (17th January, 1931 to 9th September, 2024)

By John mathew Smith Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA - https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingkongphoto/5113180682/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74924607

As is the case in other occasions when I have done this, I think a look at my favourite works in which he appeared is probably the best way to remember an actor of his calibre. These might not be those works considered his best or most popular, but these are the ones I like best. This is a personal list.

Here are my favourite ten in chronological order (all details taken from IMdB):

The Great White Hope (1970)
Directed by Martin Ritt
Starring: James Earl Jones, Jane Alexander

I went through a phase in the early 1990s of watching boxing movies, and this was one I saw in that time. While overshadowed by some others (especially Raging Bull), this was definitely one of the better ones, even if the ending was such a tragedy. I know it was based on the life of Jack Johnson somewhat, but the acting and the drama were really strong in this, and Jones certainly looked the part.

The UFO Incident (1975) TV movie
Directed by Richard A. Colla
Starring: James Earl Jones, Estelle Parsons

(Sorry about the clip; it was the only one I could find.)
Based on the story of mixed-race couple Barney and Betty Hill who claimed to have been abducted by a UFO in 1961, I found this movie on VHS in a video rental store in the late 1980s (Alpha Video!) and, being one interested in things like this, had to borrow it. It sets the facts out as the Hills presented them, and it felt almost like a docudrama. But I remember it still, and it really helped keep my interest in this topic going for years afterwards.

Star Wars (1977) & The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Directed by George Lucas/Irvin Keirshner
Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford


I am counting this as one film because it is the same character, and I was not even sure if I should include Darth Vader because Jones only supplied the voice, but his voice has become quite iconic, as much as the look of the character costume. So here he is. And, no, not the third film, while I like it, these two are far better in my opinion. But that deep voice… wow.

Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Directed by John Milius
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones

This is one of my favourite films, based on one of my favourite characters from all of literature (especially as written by the originator Robert E. Howard). This feels like a role Arnie was born to play. But a film needs a good villain and Jones played the evil cult leader Thulsa Doom without going too over the top. He was menacing and calculating, and you could really see how he had come to draw people into his clutches. I think this film is underrated by many.

Blood Tide (1982)
Directed by Richard Jeffries
Starring: James Earl Jones, José Ferrer, Mary Louise Weller

This is one of those films that is probably only a personal favourite, about a couple who go to an island where they meet Jones’ character, and there is a monastery and underwater caverns and snake monsters and it is all rather silly and over the top but I really like it. As a horror writer, there is something about this story that just attracts me and draws me in. I enjoy it.

Coming To America (1988)
Directed by John Landis
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones

Jones has a supporting role here as the father of Eddie Murphy’s character. And so only really appears at the beginning and end of the film. But I really enjoyed this film anyway, with a simple story, and some great acting from everyone involved. I quite liked a lot of Murphy’s 1980s output, and this was certainly a part of that.

The Simpsons: Treehouse Of Horror Part 3: the Raven (1990)
Directed by David Silverman

While a bit part in this TV show, the first of the ‘Treehouse Of Horror’ specials, Jones is the narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem ‘The Raven’, reciting the poem in his best “freak you out” voice. Mixed in with Homer and Bart (as the Raven), his tone is so perfectly suited for the poem, and, along with Christopher Lee, probably does the best reading of Poe’s words. Short, sharp, shiny and instantly memorable.

The Lion King (1994)
Directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones

One of the very few of the Disney Renaissance films of the 1990s that I didn’t mind, Jones as Mufasa, father of Simba, was one of the elements of the film that really helped make it work (Jeremy Irons as Scar was the other major element). Based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are things about it that annoy me, but the animation is great and the voice acting is generally strong. One of Disney’s best modern animated films. And the less said about the CGI animated remake, the better, in my opinion.

Timepiece (1996) TV movie
Directed by Marcus Cole
Starring: James Earl Jones, Kevin Kilner, Naomi Watts
(There is no trailer available, but the full movie seems available on YouTube through the Chicken Soup For The Soul TV channel)
Jones stars as a clock-maker who is tried for murder in the 1940s after a racist who has been harassing him is found dead. It is a depressing film, but one that shines a spotlight on racial inequality in the US justice system. Truth be told, I only watched it because I mistook it for another film, but I couldn’t stop watching it. The acting is amazing. And although it does have a sort of happy ending, it is a heavy film all through. But the acting – just amazing.

Big Bang Theory Series 7, Episode 14 ‘The Convention Conundrum’(2014)
Directed by Mark Cendrowski

(Just a clip, all I could find.)
I was something of a fan of Big Bang Theory. This episode showed Sheldon meeting James Earl Jones, and Jones taking him out for a night of fun, including pranking Carrie Fisher. Jones looked like he was having a blast, almost playing against type, and his enthusiasm and constant smile make the episode one of the classics in the long-running series.

Ten performances to remember James Earl Jones by. I have been meaning to see the filmed version of his theatrical performance in Driving Miss Daisy on stage in Australia, and unfortunately, it has taken his death for me to now look for it seriously. But his career spanned so many genres and so much, and I think his actual acting was often under-appreciated. He was more than a voice - he was a great performer.

RIP, James. Thanks for everything.

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