James Earl Jones Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids James Earl Jones
Jones in 2001
Born	(1931-01-17)January 17, 1931 Arkabutla, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	September 9, 2024(2024-09-09) (aged 93) Pawling, New York, U.S.
Education	University of Michigan (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–2021
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Julienne Marie (m. 1968; div. 1972) Cecilia Hart (m. 1982; died 2016)
Children	1
Parent(s)	Robert Earl Jones (father)
Awards	Full list

James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931 – died September 9, 2024) was an amazing American actor. He was famous for his roles in movies and plays. Many people called him "one of the greatest actors in American history."

He was one of the few performers to win an EGOT. This means he won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. James Earl Jones also voiced characters like Darth Vader and King Mufasa in The Lion King.

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Early Life and Overcoming Challenges

James Earl Jones's father, Robert Earl Jones, in 1938

James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on January 17, 1931. His mother was Ruth Connolly, a teacher. His father was Robert Earl Jones, an actor and boxer. His father left the family soon after James Earl was born. They did not get to know each other until the 1950s.

From age five, James Earl was raised by his grandparents in Jackson, Michigan. Moving there was hard for him. He developed a stutter so bad that he stopped speaking. He said, "My first year of school was my first mute year."

His English teacher, Donald Crouch, helped him. Mr. Crouch found that James Earl was good at writing poetry. He encouraged him to read poems aloud in class. This helped James Earl overcome his stutter and start speaking again.

Education and Military Service

James Earl Jones went to the Browning School for boys. He graduated from Dickson Rural Agricultural School in 1949. He was the vice president of his class.

He then went to the University of Michigan. He first planned to study medicine. He joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He liked the military and his fellow cadets. But he soon realized he did not want to be a doctor.

Instead, he decided to study drama. He graduated from the university in 1955.

After college, Jones served in the United States Army. This was during the Korean War. He became a first lieutenant before leaving the army. After his military service, he moved to New York. He studied acting at the American Theatre Wing. He worked as a janitor to support himself.

A Remarkable Acting Career

James Earl Jones started his acting career on Broadway in 1957. His first big role was in the play Sunrise at Campobello in 1958.

He performed in many plays by William Shakespeare. These included Othello, Hamlet, and King Lear.

His first movie role was in Dr. Strangelove in 1964. In 1968, he won his first Tony Award for his role in The Great White Hope. He also starred in the movie version of the play. This earned him nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

In 1974, he was nominated for another Golden Globe for the movie Claudine.

Becoming a Voice Legend

James Earl Jones became famous worldwide for his voice. He was the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies. He started with the first film in 1977. His deep, powerful voice made Darth Vader an iconic character.

He also voiced King Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King in 1994. He later returned to voice Mufasa again in the 2019 movie version.

More Film and Stage Success

In 1987, he won his second Tony Award for the play Fences.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in many popular films:

Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Coming to America (1988)
Field of Dreams (1989)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
The Sandlot (1993)

In the 2000s, James Earl Jones continued to act in plays. He starred with Phylicia Rashad in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2008. He also acted with Angela Lansbury in The Best Man in 2012. He even toured Australia with the play Driving Miss Daisy in 2013.

He also appeared in You Can't Take it With You (2014) and The Gin Game (2015–16). He voiced Darth Vader again in recent Star Wars shows. He also returned for Coming 2 America in 2021.

Famous Quotes from James Earl Jones

“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.”
“If you live in an oppressive society, you've got to be resilient. You can't let each little thing crush you. You have take every encounter and make yourself larger, rather than allow yourself to be diminished by it.”
“When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.”

Personal Life

In 1968, James Earl Jones married actress and singer Julienne Marie. He later married actress Cecilia Hart in 1982. They had one son named Flynn. Cecilia Hart passed away in 2016.

James Earl Jones was a Catholic. He became Catholic while he was in the military.

Death and Lasting Impact

James Earl Jones passed away at his home in Pawling, New York, on September 9, 2024. He was 93 years old.

After he died, The New York Times newspaper said he had "a prodigious body of work." They called him "one of America's most versatile actors." His career in theater, film, and television was truly amazing.

Interesting Facts About James Earl Jones

His voice was often described as a "stirring basso profondo" (a very deep voice).
His acting career lasted for over six decades.
In 1969, he helped make test films for the children's show Sesame Street.
President Barack Obama invited him to perform Shakespeare at the White House in 2009.
He was a longtime spokesperson for Verizon.
He narrated the opening for NBC's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
He narrated all 27 books of the New Testament in an audiobook called James Earl Jones Reads the Bible.
In 2009, he appeared in an episode of the medical drama House M.D.
In September 2022, he announced he would retire from voicing Darth Vader. Future Vader voices would be made using AI software with his past recordings.

Awards and Honors

James Earl Jones won many awards during his career:

He won three Tony Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
He also won a Grammy Award in 1977 for Great American Documents.
In 1985, he was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.
President George H. W. Bush gave him the National Medal of the Arts in 1992.
He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002.
In 2009, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
He received an Honorary Academy Award (Oscar) in 2011.
Harvard University gave him an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree in 2017.
In 2019, he was honored as a Disney Legend.
In 2017, he received a Special Tony Award for his lifetime achievements.
On September 12, 2022, a Broadway theater in New York City was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor.