James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 - Spetember 9, 2024)' was an Academy Award nominated American actor and voice actor who despite a career spanning 50 years will forever be remembered for an initially uncredited voice role as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series. On House, M.D., he portrayed dictator President Dibala in the Season 6 episode The Tyrant. Jones is also known for his role as Admiral James Greer in the Jack Ryan films The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger, co-starring with Harrison Ford in the latter two, and Alec Baldwin in the former.
Originally a Broadway actor, Jones first came to prominence in films in the role of Lt. Lothar Zogg in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Since then, he has had featured roles in Dr. Kildare, Claudine, The UFO Incident, The Greatest, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Paul Robeson, Paris, Freedom to Speak, Conan the Barbarian, Moses, Gardens of Stone, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, Gabriel's Fire, Pros and Cons, Sneakers, The Sandlot, The Vernon Johns Story, The Lion King, Under One Roof, Cry, The Beloved Country, A Family Thing, Our Friend Martin, Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street, Robots, The Sandlot 2, Welcome Back Roscoe Jenkins, and Jack and the Beanstalk.
He has won two Tony awards and was the only person in history to win two Emmy Awards in the same year.
Jones died on September 9, 2024 at the age of 93.
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Dr. Strangelove | Lt. Lothar Zogg | |
| 1967 | The Comedians | Dr. Magiot | |
| 1967 | The Comedians in Africa | Himself | Short film |
| 1970 | The End of the Road | Doctor D | |
| 1970 | The Great White Hope | Jack Jefferson | |
| 1970 | King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis | Himself | |
| 1972 | Malcolm X | Narrator | |
| 1972 | The Man | Douglass Dilman | |
| 1973 | Westworld | Ken | |
| 1974 | Claudine | Rupert "Roop" B. Marshall | |
| 1974 | The Towering Inferno | Pete | |
| 1976 | The River Niger | Johnny Williams | |
| 1976 | The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings | Leon Carter | |
| 1976 | Swashbuckler | Nick Debrett | |
| 1976 | Deadly Hero | Rabbit | |
| 1977 | The Greatest | Malcolm X | |
| 1977 | Star Wars | Darth Vader | Voice role; uncredited (credited in new editions) |
| 1977 | Exorcist II: The Heretic | Older Kokumo | |
| 1977 | The Last Remake of Beau Geste | Sheikh | |
| 1977 | A Piece of the Action | Joshua Burke | |
| 1979 | The Muppet Movie | Luke | Cameo |
| 1979 | Monty Python's Life of Brian | Eric | |
| 1979 | The Bushido Blade | Harpooner | |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Darth Vader | Voice role; uncredited (credited in new editions) |
| 1981 | Excalibur | MacNicol | |
| 1981 | Time Bandits | Danny Luke | |
| 1982 | The Flight of Dragons | Ommadon | Voice role |
| 1982 | Conan the Barbarian | Thulsa Doom | |
| 1982 | Blood Tide | Frye | |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | Darth Vader | Voice role |
| 1984 | Conan the Destroyer | Thulsa Doom | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Geoffrey | |
| 1984 | Conan the Destroyer | Thulsa Doom | |
| 1984 | The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Archibald | |
| 1985 | City Limits | Albert | |
| 1986 | Soul Man | Professor Banks | |
| 1986 | Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold | Umslopogaas | |
| 1987 | Gardens of Stone | Sgt. Maj. "Goody" Nelson | |
| 1987 | My Little Girl | Ike Bailey | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | McGee | |
| 1987 | Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night | Emperor of the Night | |
| 1987 | Matewan | Few Clothes | |
| 1988 | Killer Klowns from Outer Space | Baron | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | King Jaffe Joffer | |
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Miller | |
| 1989 | Three Fugitives | Detective Movan Dugan | |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams | Terence Mann | |
| 1989 | Best of the Best | Frank Couzo | |
| 1990 | Convicts | Ben Johnson | |
| 1990 | The Hunt for Red October | Admiral James Greer | |
| 1990 | The Ambulance | Lt. Spencer | |
| 1990 | Grim Prairie Tales | Morrison | |
| 1991 | Scorchers | Bear | |
| 1991 | The Last Boy Scout | Soil | |
| 1992 | Patriot Games | Admiral James Greer | |
| 1992 | Freddie as F.R.O.7 | Narrator | American version |
| 1992 | Sneakers | NSA Agent Bernard Abbott | |
| 1993 | Dreamrider | William Perry | |
| 1993 | Sommersby | Judge Barry Conrad Isaacs | |
| 1993 | The Sandlot | Mr. Mertle | |
| 1993 | Excessive Force | Jake | |
| 1993 | The Meteor Man | Earnest Moses | |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Himself | Cameo |
| 1994 | Clean Slate | Dolby | |
| 1994 | The Lion King | Mufasa | Voice role |
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Admiral James Greer | |
| 1994 | Airheads | Alfred | |
| 1995 | Jefferson in Paris | Madison Hemings | |
| 1995 | Cry, the Beloved Country | Rev. Stephen Kumalo | |
| 1995 | Judge Dredd | Narrator | |
| 1996 | A Family Thing | Ray Murdock | |
| 1996 | Good Luck | James Bing | |
| 1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Kibosh | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| 1997 | Gang Related | Arthur Baylor | |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | CNN Voiceover | |
| 1998 | Soldier | Forest | |
| 1998 | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | Mufasa | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| 1999 | Our Friend, Martin | Martin Luther King, Sr. | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| 1999 | On the Q.T. | Leo | |
| 1999 | Undercover Angel | The Judge | |
| 1999 | The Annihilation of Fish | Fish | |
| 1999 | Fantasia 2000 | Himself | Introduction to Carnival of the Animals segment |
| 2001 | Finder's Fee | Avery Phillips | |
| 2001 | Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street | Santa Claus | |
| 2005 | Robots | Voice Box at Hardware Store | Voice role |
| 2005 | The Sandlot 2 | Mr. Mertle | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | The Benchwarmers | Darth Vader | Voice role |
| 2006 | Click | Narrator of Michael's Past | |
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 | Narrator | Uncredited |
| 2006 | Blood Diamond | Dag | |
| 2008 | Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | Roscoe Jenkins, Sr. | |
| 2009 | Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey | The Admiral | Voice role |
| 2009 | Jack and the Beanstalk | The Giant | |
| 2011 | Star Tours – The Adventures Continue | Darth Vader | Short; voice role |
| 2013 | Gimme Shelter | Frank McCarthy | |
| 2014 | The Angriest Man in Brooklyn | Ruben | |
| 2014 | Driving Miss Daisy | Hoke Colburn | Theatrical release of Australian stage production |
| 2016 | Rogue One | Darth Vader | Voice role |
| 2018 | Warning Shot | Pendleton | |
| 2019 | The Lion King | Mufasa | Voice role |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | East Side/West Side | Joe Goodwin | Episode: "Who Do You Kill?" |
| 1966 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. Lou Rush | 4 episodes |
| 1969 | N.Y.P.D. | Candy Lateen | 2 episodes |
| 1974 | The Cay | Timothy | Television film |
| 1975 | The UFO Incident | Barney Hill | Television film |
| 1977 | Roots | Alex Haley | Episode: "Part XII" |
| 1977 | Jesus of Nazareth | Balthazar | Episode: "Part 1" |
| 1977 | The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened | Morris Bird, Jr. | Television film |
| 1978 | Star Wars Holiday Special | Darth Vader | Voice |
| 1979–80 | Paris | Woodrow Paris | 13 episodes |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | Alex Haley | Episode: "1.7" |
| 1980 | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | Father Divine | Television film |
| 1984 | The Vegas Strip War | Jack Madrid | Television film |
| 1985 | Me and Mom | Lou Garfield | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Genie of the Lamp & Genie of the Ring | Episode: "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" |
| 1987–91 | Mathnet | Chief Thad Green | 5 episodes |
| 1987, 1990-92 | Square One TV | Announcer / Chief Thad Greene | 4 episodes |
| 1992 | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories | Narrator | Segment "Millions of Cats" |
| 1988–89 | L.A. Law | Lee Atkins | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Saturday Night with Connie Chung | Vernon Johns | Episode: "God's Bad Boy" |
| 1989-92 | Long Ago and Far Away | Host / Narrator | 35 episodes |
| 1990, 1994, 1998 | The Simpsons | Narrator / Maggie Simpson / Moving Man / Serak the Preparer (voices) | 3 episodes |
| 1990–91 | Gabriel's Fire | Gabriel Bird | 22 episodes |
| 1990 | By Dawn's Early Light | Alice | Television film |
| 1990 | Heat Wave | Junius Johnson | Television film |
| 1991–92 | Pros and Cons]] | Gabriel Bird | 12 episodes |
| 1992 | Lincoln | Narrator | Television film |
| 1992 | Garfield and Friends | Diablo | Episode: "Ghost of a Chance" |
| 1993 | Percy & Thunder | Percy | Television film |
| 1993 | ABC Weekend Special | Himself | Episode: "The Parsley Garden" |
| 1993 | Law & Order | Horace McCoy | Episode: "Profile" |
| 1993 | American Playhouse | Old Man Taylor | Episode: "Hallelujah" |
| 1994 | Confessions: Two Faces of Evil | Charles Lloyd | Television film |
| 1994 | Picket Fences | Bryant Thomas | Episode: "System Down" |
| 1994 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Franklin Stern | Episode: "The House of Luthor" |
| 1994 | The Road to Freedom: The Vernon Johns Story | Vernon Johns | Television film |
| 1994 | Rod Serling's Lost Classics | Host | Television film |
| 1994 | Bah, Humbug! | Narrator / Ebenezer Scrooge | Television film |
| 1995 | People: A Musical Celebration | The Storyteller | Voice |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | King Dakkar (voice) | Episode: "The Valiant Little Tailor" |
| 1995 | Signs and Wonders | Diamond | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Under One Roof | Neb Langston | 6 episodes |
| 1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Narrator (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault | Dr. McDuffie | Television film |
| 1996 | Timepiece | Lawrence | Television film |
| 1997 | Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "Chicken Man" |
| 1997 | Touched by an Angel | Angel of Angels | Episode: "Clipped Wings" |
| 1997 | Frasier | Norman Royster | Episode: "Roz's Krantz & Gouldenstein Are Dead" |
| 1997 | Stargate SG-1 | Unas | Episode: "Thor's Hammer" |
| 1997 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Felix Wilson | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Alone | Grey | Television film |
| 1997 | What the Deaf Man Heard | Archibald Thacker | Television film |
| 1997 | The Second Civil War | Jim Kalla | Television film |
| 1998 | Merlin | Mountain King | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Recess | Santa Claus | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Santa and Pete | Grandpa Nicholas | Television film |
| 1999 | Summer's End | Dr. William Blakely | Television film |
| 2001 | The Feast of All Saints | Older Marcel | Television film |
| 2001 | Oswald | Andy (voice) | Episode: "Chasing the Ice Cream Truck" |
| 2001 | Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat | Everett (voice) | Episode: "Sagwa's Swan Song" |
| 2003 | The Fairly OddParents | Albert (voice) | Episode: "Information Stupor Highway" |
| 2003 | Will & Grace | Himself | Episode: "Me and Mr. Jones" |
| 2003–04 | Everwood | Will Cleveland | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | According to Jim | Royal Flush XP Toilet | Episode: "The Toilet" |
| 2004 | Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: 4077 |
| 2005 | The Reading Room | William | Television film |
| 2005 | Danny Phantom | Luke (voice) | Episode: "Pirate Radio" |
| 2005 | My Life as a Teenage Robot | Jack (voice) | Episode: "Toying with Jenny" |
| 2005 | The Buzz on Maggie | Leno (voice) | Episode: "Scout of Order" |
| 2006 | Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! | Sheldon (voice) | Episode: "A Little Help From Your Friends" |
| 2007 | The Modifyers | The Guide (voice) | Pilot |
| 2008 | Yin Yang Yo! | Colin (voice) | Episode: "The Manotaur" |
| 2008 | Two and a Half Men | Himself | Episode: "The Devil's Lube" |
| 2009 | The Magic 7 | 5-Toe | Voice |
| 2009 | House, M.D. | Dibala | Episode: "The Tyrant" |
| 2010 | Fish Hooks | Nick (voice) | Episode: "Bea Becomes an Adult Fish" |
| 2010 | T.U.F.F. Puppy | O (voice) | Episode: "Toast of T.U.F.F." |
| 2011 | The Amazing World of Gumball | Professor Jack (voice) | Episode: "The Spoon" |
| 2013 | Scaredy Squirrel | Johnny (voice) | Episode: "Stash N' Hoarder" |
| 2013 | My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Richard (voice) | Episode: "Games Ponies Play" |
| 2014 | The Big Bang Theory | Himself | Episode: "The Convention Conundrum" |
| 2014 | Doki | Kevin (voice) | Episode: "The Treasure Hunters" |
| 2015 | Star vs. The Forces of Evil | Nicky (voice) | Episode: "Star Comes to Earth" |
| 2015 | Harvey Beaks | Cox (voice) | Episode: "The Finger" |
| 2015 | Steven Universe | Sid (voice) | Episode: "Keystone Motel" |
| 2015 | Clarence | Becky (voice) | Episode: "Tuckered Boys" |
| 2014–16 | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Agent X | Chief Justice Caleb Thorne | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar | Mufasa | Voice |
| 2017 | The Loud House | Chicken (voice) | Episode: "Yes Man" |
| 2017, 2019 | The Lion Guard | Mufasa (voice) | 2 episodes |