James Earl Jones, who passed away at the age of 93 on September 9, 2024, was best known as a movie legend who brought to life iconic characters like Star Wars' Darth Vader. However, many fans didn't know that the actor got his on-screen show biz start on soaps.
James Earl Jones's soap beginnings
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While Jones began as a theater actor on Broadway in 1958, he soon transitioned to television and New York soaps. In 1966, Jones appeared on both As the World Turns and Guiding Light. On ATWT, Jones played Dr. Jerry Turner, and on Guiding Light, he brought Jim Frazier to life, according to IMDb.
In a case of soap and sci-fi coincidence, Jones's Star Wars co-star, Billy Dee Williams, took over the role of Jim Frazier when Jones left. As fans of the franchise know, Williams was Star Wars' Lando Calrissian.
A prolific Hollywood career
Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, MS. The family moved to Michigan when Jones was a child. According to CNN, Jones developed a stutter due to the trauma of moving at such an early stage in his life. In high school, a teacher helped him by encouraging him to recite poetry. Jones soon attended the University of Michigan with plans to become a doctor. However, the acting bug bit, and he graduated with a degree in theater.
Jones soon moved to New York, where he found work on Broadway and in soaps, as mentioned above, but his movie roles secured his legendary status. Jones appeared in such blockbusters as The Great White Hope, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, Soul Man, and Patriot Games. He also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King.
Jones also made various primetime television appearances during his long and storied career, including on shows such as Picket Fences, Law and Order, Touched by an Angel, and According to Jim. He also starred in the series Gabriel's Fire.
However, one of Jones's most memorable and consequential TV roles was as author Alex Haley in 1979's Roots: The Next Generation. Both Roots and its 1979 sequel were based on Haley's 1976 semi-autobiographical novel, Roots.
Of course, Jones is best known for voicing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars series, as well as in sequels and various TV series. Jones's last screen credit was for voicing Vader in the TV mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Awards and Accolades for James Earl Jones
During his long and storied career, Jones earned a multitude of awards and nominations. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1991 for Gabriel's Fire. In 1971, Jones took home a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his role in The Great White Hope.
Jones was also nominated for an Oscar that year for the same movie. Jones was also a Tony Award winner in 1969 for the stage production The Great White Hope, as well as for August Wilson's Fences in 1987, according to NBC News.
In 2022, Jones spoke to CBS News about his decades-long acting career. "By taking one step at a time, I've found great treasures," he said. "Every step I take."
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