Is it coincidental that two weeks ago, I saw a Tiktok short on American actor James Earl Jones, detailing his wife and son, only for his death to be announced on Tuesday, September 9, 2024, at age 93?
That was the first time I heard of his wife Celia Hart, an actress, and only child, Flynn Earl Jones – also in the film business.
Born January 1931, James Earl Jones career started way before his breakthrough in Television. I first saw him in ‘Coming to America’ (1988) in which he played the strict but devoted father of Akeem (Eddie Murphy). His voice and smile definitely stood out, but it wasn’t until years later that I realised he voiced ‘King Mufasa’ in Disney’s 1994 award-winning animation feature ‘The Lion King’.
For many reasons, James Earl Jones to me is the epitome of the old, black actor excellence.
As a young child he overcame a stutter which made him refrain from speaking for eight years, and to channel his energy to writing poetry as a means of expressing himself. With the aid of a teacher, who made him recite poems everyday throughout that school year, Jones was able to overcome the stutter.
Before his recognition as one of the it ‘voice’ in the global film industry – as the likes of Morgan Freeman – Jones spent many years plying his skills successfully in theatric productions on and off Broadway to hone that voice, and bagging many awards in the process. Some are which are an Obie Awards for his role as ‘Othello’ (1965) in Shakespeare’s Play Othello, and two Tonys for his role in August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ (1987) and ‘The Great White Hope’ (1970).
In 1977, Jones got to exhibit his voice prowess for the first time voicing over Darth Vader, the villain in George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. The recording for the first film took only three hours, and Jones earned $7000. He would go on to lend his voice as ‘King Mufasa’ in ‘Lion King I’, and the 2019 remake. He got a cameo in the popular TV series ‘Two and Half Men’, where one-third of the protagonists, Charlie stated his preference of Jones as his Funeral chair, for his majestic voice. He also worked as a narrator in several audio-visual productions and television advertising.
Jones had a long and diverse acting career in theatre, film and voice acting. One’d be surprised to realize many of the projects he has featured in and the awards he has racked up. He made his debut in film in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove’ (1964), ‘Conan The Barbarian’ (1982) as the evil ruler and nemesis to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s hero; ‘Matewan’ (1987), ‘Coming To America’ I & II (1988, 2021), ‘Hunt For Red October’ (1990) and ‘Clear and Present Danger’ (1994). He went on to reprise his theatric role ‘The Great White Hope’ for which he received an Academy and Oscars awards nominations in 1970. He received an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Despite remaining a well-known and booked actor in the later years of his career till his death, Jones is scandal-less. I mean, there is nary a squeak about his personal life, be it in the streets or social media. With the exception of the information of his first divorce from actress Julienne Marie – whom he met while filming ‘Othello’ in 1964, and about his wife of 34 years, and his 42-year-old son, there is no negative or scandalous prints about him online.
As he aged gracefully over the years till his death, Jones features which can alternate from a stern expressionless stare, to the brightest, mischievous smile, will forever remain seared in my mind. That and his legacy – both voice and acting, his stately demeanor in real and reel, in addition to, the choice of safeguarding his private life from his profession, makes him the last of a dying breed, the black actor par excellence.
