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Acting

James Earl Jones

Acting · Born 1931-01-17 · Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA

James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen, and "one of the greatest actors in American history". Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009 and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011. His deep voice has been praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects.

IMDb

Credits · 239

Indiana Jones Adventure | Disneyland Resort

2025 · Mara (voice)

Mufasa: The Lion King

2024 · In Memory Of

Butterfly in the Sky

2024 · Guest Narrator (archive footage)

2022 · Darth Vader (voice)

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

2021 · Self (archive footage)

Coming 2 America

2021 · King Jaffe Joffer

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

2019 · Darth Vader (voice)

The Movies That Made Us

2019 · Self (archive footage)

2019 · Self (archive footage)

2019 · Mufasa (voice)

2018 · Pendleton

The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands

2017 · Mufasa (voice)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

2016 · Darth Vader (voice)

God Bless You, Mr Rosewater

2016 · Kilgore Trout

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

2016 · Mufasa (voice)

Driving Miss Daisy

2015 · Hoke Colburn

Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal

2015 · Darth Vader (voice)

Star Wars Rebels

2014 · Darth Vader (voice)

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion

2014 · Darth Vader (voice)

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

2013 · Frank McCarthy

2013 · Self (archive footage)

An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road

Joe Papp in Five Acts

Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey

2010 · Admiral (voice)

Jack and the Beanstalk

2009 · The Giant (voice)

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2009 · Self (archive footage)

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

2008 · Papa Jenkins

2007 · Narrator (voice)

The Big Bang Theory

2007 · James Earl Jones

John, Paul, George and Ben

2007 · Narrator

Searching for Orson

2006 · Self - Guest

2006 · Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)

2006 · Narrator (uncredited)

The Benchwarmers

2006 · Darth Vader (voice)

The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

2006 · Narrator

Hollywood's Greatest Villains

2005 · Mr. Mertle

The Reading Room

2005 · William

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

2005 · Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)

2005 · Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)

By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'

2005 · Narrator

No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat

Nine Dog Christmas

2004 · Storyteller (voice)

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

The Story of Star Wars

2004 · Darth Vader (archive footage)

Black Indians: An American Story

2004 · Narrator

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror

2003 · Maggie Simpson (voice)

Two and a Half Men

2003 · James Earl Jones

2003 · Narrator

Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October'

2002 · Will Cleveland

Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World

Feast of All Saints

2001 · Older Marcel

Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street

2001 · Mister (voice)

According to Jim

2001 · Royal Flush Voice (voice)

2001 · Avery Phillips

Disney's American Legends

2001 · Narrator

Antietam: A Documentary Film

2000 · Narrator

Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'

Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'

2000 · Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'

The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

2000 · Self - Host

1999 · Grandpa Nicholas

The Annihilation of Fish

Undercover Angel

1999 · The Judge

1999 · Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely

Our Friend, Martin

1999 · Daddy King (voice)

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

1998 · Mufasa (voice)

1998 · James Earl Jones

1998 · Rock of Ages

1998 · CNN Voiceover (voice)

The Second Civil War

1997 · Jim Kalla

What the Deaf Man Heard

1997 · Archibald Thacker

1997 · Arthur Baylor

Casper: A Spirited Beginning

1997 · Kibosh (voice)

1997 · Unas (Voice)

Sports on the Silver Screen

1997 · Self (archive footage)

1997 · James Bing

Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery

1997 · Self (archive footage)

1996 · Lawrence

Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault

1996 · Dr. McDuffie

Looking for Richard

1996 · Self - Interviewee

1996 · Ray Murdock

3rd Rock from the Sun

1996 · Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Cry, the Beloved Country

1995 · Rev. Stephen Kumalo

1995 · Narrator (uncredited)

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

The Making of 'Jurassic Park'

Jefferson in Paris

1995 · Madison Hemings

1995 · Neb Langston

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

1995 · King Dakkar (voice)

Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable

Signs and Wonders

1995 · Diamond

People: A Musical Celebration

1995 · The Storyteller (voice)

Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'

Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'

1994 · Narrator

Touched by an Angel

1994 · The Angel of Angels

Clear and Present Danger

1994 · Admiral James Greer

The Making of the Lion King

1994 · Mufasa (voice)

The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics

1994 · John Dolby

Africa: The Serengeti

1994 · Narrator

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

1994 · James Earl Jones (uncredited)

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil

1994 · Charles Lloyd

The Vernon Johns Story

1994 · Vernon Johns

1993 · Old Man Taylor

Michael Jackson: Dangerous - The Short Films

1993 · Self (voice) (uncredited)

1993 · Norman Royster

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

1993 · Franklin Stern

Percy & Thunder

1993 · Percy Banks

1993 · Earnest Moses

1993 · Bill Perry

Excessive Force

1993 · Mr. Mertle

1993 · Judge Barry Conrad Issacs

Homicide: Life on the Street

1993 · Felix Wilson

1992 · Narrator (voice)

1992 · Bryant Thomas

1992 · Mr. Bernard Abbott

1992 · Adm. James Greer

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories

1992 · Narrator (voice)

The JFK Conspiracy

1992 · Self - Host

1991 · Gabriel Bird

1991 · James Earl Jones

When It Was a Game

1991 · (voice)

Visitors from the Unknown

1991 · Narrator (voice)

1991 · Ben Johnson

Grim Prairie Tales

1990 · Morrison

1990 · Defense Attorney Horace McCoy

1990 · Gabriel Bird

1990 · Inspector Nkuru

1990 · Junius Johnson

By Dawn's Early Light

1990 · Lt. Spencer

The Hunt for Red October

1990 · Vice ADM James Greer

1990 · Dr. Winston

1990 · Retribution (voice)

1989 · Narrator (voice)

11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried

1989 · Narrator

Best of the Best

1989 · Frank Couzo

Field of Dreams

1989 · Terrence Mann

Long Ago and Far Away

Long Ago and Far Away

Three Fugitives

The Hunting of the Snark

1989 · Narrator (voice)

Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark

1989 · Narrator

Garfield and Friends

Coming to America

1988 · King Jaffe Joffer

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues

1988 · Narrator (voice)

1987 · 'Few Clothes' Johnson

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night

1987 · Emperor of the Night (voice)

Gardens of Stone

1987 · Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson

1987 · Chief Thad Green (voice)

Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold

1986 · Umslopogaas

1986 · Professor Banks

1986 · Lee Atkins

1986 · Ike Bailey

Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp

1986 · Genie / Narrator

The Lone Star Kid

Night of 100 Stars II

The Atlanta Child Murders

1985 · Major Walker

The Vegas Strip War

1984 · Jack Madrid

Highway to Heaven

1984 · Gabe Wilson

CBS Schoolbreak Special

1984 · Detective Robb

Reading Rainbow

1983 · Self - Narrator (voice)

Return of the Jedi

1983 · Darth Vader (voice)

Amy and the Angel

1982 · Gabriel

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982 · Genie / Narrator (voice)

The Flight of Dragons

1982 · Ommadon (voice)

Conan the Barbarian

1982 · Thulsa Doom

Night of 100 Stars

American Playhouse

1982 · Dr. Winston (segment 'Teach 109')

1981 · Narrator (voice)

The Bushido Blade

1981 · The Prisoner

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

1981 · Narrator (voice)

The Empire Strikes Back

1980 · Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)

Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

1980 · Father Divine

1979 · Woody Paris

Roots: The Next Generations

1979 · Alex Haley

1979 · Paul Robeson

Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement

The Kennedy Center Honors

The Star Wars Holiday Special

1978 · Darth Vader (voice)

The Story of the Faithful Wookiee

1978 · Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)

The Magic of David Copperfield

A Piece of the Action

1977 · Joshua Burke

The Making of Star Wars

1977 · Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)

Exorcist II: The Heretic

1977 · Older Kokumo

The Last Remake of Beau Geste

1977 · Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)

1977 · Malcolm X

Jesus of Nazareth

1977 · Balthazar

1976 · Nick Debrett

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings

The River Niger

1976 · Johnny Williams

1975 · Rabbit Shazam

The UFO Incident

1975 · Barney Hill

1975 · Long John Spoilsport

1974 · Timothy

1974 · Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall

1974 · King Lear

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

1973 · Self - Host

1972 · Douglass Dilman

1972 · Biographical Narration (voice)

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream

1971 · Narrator

Great Performances

1971 · King Lear

The Great White Hope

1970 · Jack Jefferson

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

1970 · Self (archive footage)

End of the Road

1970 · Doctor D

The Dick Cavett Show

1968 · Self - Guest

1967 · Dr. Magiot

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

1964 · Lt. Lothar Zogg

East Side/West Side

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Merv Griffin Show

The Mike Douglas Show

1961 · Dr. Lou Rush

1961 · Lieutenant Andrews

1956 · Self - Winner / Performer

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951 · Archibald Thacker

Lamp Unto My Feet

Lamp Unto My Feet

Golden Globe Awards

1944 · Self - Nominee / Presenter

James Earl Jones · MediaMark