James Earl Jones: classically trained actor who gave a voice to Darth Vader

One of the most respected actors of his generation, Jones overcame a childhood stutter to become a 'towering' presence on stage and screen

James Earl Jones seen here arriving at the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2012
James Earl Jones seen here arriving at the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2012
(Image credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo)

A towering figure in 20th century American theatre and the pre-eminent African American actor of his generation, James Earl Jones was known for his interpretations of both modern and classical roles, said The Daily Telegraph. He played Othello seven times; he turned in a "titanic" performance as the raging Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"; he played the crusty retired academic Norman in a 2005 staging of "On Golden Pond"; and won a Tony for his performance as the frustrated garbage collector in August Wilson's "Fences."

His looks – powerful, commanding, magisterial – were a large part of the equation, said Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian. "But it was how he sounded that made him a legend." A great rumbling basso profundo, his voice was "like a thunderstorm surmounting the horizon". One critic described it as "the sound Moses might have heard when addressed by God". Famously, he provided the voice of the menacing Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" films, and of the noble lion Mufasa in "The Lion King".

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