james earl jones filmography 1931-2024

Everyone at Lucasfilm was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of James Earl Jones at the age of 93.

“James Earl Jones is one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time, with an impressive body of work in film, stage and television,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “The menacing baritone he brought to Darth Vader will forever be beloved by fans and is regarded as one of the greatest villain performances in cinema. His commanding presence on screen, and charismatic personality off screen, Will be greatly missed.

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“James was an incredible actor, a unique voice in both art and soul,” says George Lucas. “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret of it all was that he was a beautiful human being.” He brings depth, sincerity and meaning to all his characters, most notably as a devoted husband to the late Sissy and father to Flynn. James will be missed by many of us friends and fans.

James Earl Jones first crossed paths with Lucasfilm in early 1977 when he was cast to perform the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope. He had already been an accomplished actor on stage and screen for decades, appearing in such classics as Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), a film that made the writer/ Influenced director George Lucas.

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Although Jones has what many would agree is one of the most recognizable voices of all time and helped make Darth Vader a cinematic legend, he actually voiced the character. was not Lucas’s first choice for “Rumor has it that he thought of Orson Welles,” Jones recalled.”And then maybe thought that Orson might be too recognizable, so the voice he picked up is a voice that was born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, and had a stutter. And, it My voice was made.”

Today, of course, it would be hard to imagine anyone else being cast as the voice of the first Star Wars villain. With his resonant bass register, Jones was uniquely suited to the role. “The technique for recording that sound was to keep it within very tight limits of distortion, and there was no way to consciously illuminate the sound,” Jones would explain. “In fact, my job was to be aware of Darth Vader’s voice – to draw all of humanity out of him.”

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Jones was always very generous with his praise of David Prowse’s physical performance of Vader. “David Prowse worked so hard to create Darth Vader… I take no credit for the character. I think the performance is in your head. Vader is good proof that if you go through a character’s path Stay away… Good, effective dialogue will create all kinds of surprises in the viewer or audience that come from the viewer’s mind.

In 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Jones uttered one of the most famous lines in motion picture history: “No, I’m your father.” “When I first saw the dialogue that said, ‘Luke, I’m your father,’ I said to myself, ‘He’s lying, I’m surprised he’s telling that lie,'” the actor recalled. How will you pay?

That one simple line of dialogue helped define the narrative arc of the Star Wars story for the next 25 years. As Jones himself would explain, “Darth Vader doesn’t think he’s evil. And then the suggestion that he hasn’t always been evil, so the story becomes, ‘How does one become evil and get rid of it?’

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Jones was able to bring this arc full circle in 2005 when he returned to the role of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Again with characteristic humility, he paid tribute to actor Hayden Christensen, who will also don Vader’s costume after portraying Anakin Skywalker. “I see great potential in this young man for all of Darth Vader’s choices,” he said while the film was still in production.

Darth Vader remained an indelible part of Jones’ career for the next two decades as he appeared in everything from television series (Star Wars Rebels and Obi-Wan Kenobi) to theme park attractions (Star Tours: The Adventures Continue) and more feature films. Repeat the character in everything. (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). “I’m so happy to be a part of this whole legend,” he would think. “Even as an observer, and I’m only an observer. I’m a special influence, you know, at best.”

To all of us at Lucasfilm, and to countless members of the audience, James Earl Jones was much more than “just an observer.” He was the voice of the character at the heart of our most beloved story, and he will forever be in our hearts and imaginations.

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