James Earl Jones
Acting
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.
TV Shows(60)
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Darth Vader (voice)
2022
The Movies That Made Us
Self (archive footage)
2019
Star Wars Rebels
Darth Vader (voice)
2014
The Big Bang Theory
James Earl Jones
2007
The One Show
Self - Guest
2006
House
Dibala
2004
Two and a Half Men
James Earl Jones
2003
Everwood
Will Cleveland
2002
According to Jim
Royal Flush Voice (voice)
2001
Will & Grace
James Earl Jones
1998
Merlin
Rock of Ages
1998
Stargate SG-1
Unas (Voice)
1997
3rd Rock from the Sun
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1996
Under One Roof
Neb Langston
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
King Dakkar (voice)
1995
Signs and Wonders
Diamond
1995
Touched by an Angel
The Angel of Angels
1994
Frasier
Norman Royster
1993
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Franklin Stern
1993
Homicide: Life on the Street
Felix Wilson
1993
Picket Fences
Bryant Thomas
1992
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
Narrator (voice)
1992
Pros and Cons
Gabriel Bird
1991
Law & Order
Defense Attorney Horace McCoy
1990
Gabriel's Fire
Gabriel Bird
1990
The Simpsons
Narrator (voice)
1989
Long Ago and Far Away
Host
1989
Garfield and Friends
Diablo
1988
Mathnet
Chief Thad Green (voice)
1987
L.A. Law
Lee Atkins
1986
Me & Mom
1985
The Atlanta Child Murders
Major Walker
1985
Highway to Heaven
Gabe Wilson
1984
CBS Schoolbreak Special
Detective Robb
1984
Reading Rainbow
Self - Narrator (voice)
1983
Faerie Tale Theatre
Genie / Narrator (voice)
1982
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
Father Divine
1980
Paris
Woody Paris
1979
Roots: The Next Generations
Alex Haley
1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
The Magic of David Copperfield
1978
Jesus of Nazareth
Balthazar
1977
Vegetable Soup
Long John Spoilsport
1975
Dinah!
Self
1974
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Black Omnibus
Self - Host
1973
Great Performances
King Lear
1971
Sesame Street
1969
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
Tarzan
1966
East Side/West Side
1963
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Dr. Kildare
Dr. Lou Rush
1961
The Defenders
Lieutenant Andrews
1961
Tony Awards
Self - Winner / Performer
1956
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Archibald Thacker
1951
Lamp Unto My Feet
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter
1944
Movies(201)
BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy
Self (archive footage)
2024
Butterfly in the Sky
Guest Narrator (archive footage)
2024
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Self (archive footage)
2021
Coming 2 America
King Jaffe Joffer
2021
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Darth Vader (voice)
2019
On Broadway
Self (archive footage)
2019
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
Self
2019
The Lion King
Mufasa (voice)
2019
The Space: Theatre of Survival
Narrator
2019
Words from a Bear
Self
2019
Warning Shot
Pendleton
2018
The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands
Mufasa (voice)
2017
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Darth Vader (voice)
2016
God Bless You, Mr Rosewater
Kilgore Trout
2016
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Mufasa (voice)
2016
Driving Miss Daisy
Hoke Colburn
2015
Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
Darth Vader (voice)
2015
August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand
Self
2015
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
Darth Vader (voice)
2014
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
Ruben
2014
Gimme Shelter
Frank McCarthy
2013
Muse of Fire
Self
2013
Blackfish
Self (archive footage)
2013
Milius
Self
2013
An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road
Self
2012
Joe Papp in Five Acts
Self
2012
Strange Septembers: The Hill Abduction & the Exeter Encounter
Himself
2011
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Admiral (voice)
2010
Jack and the Beanstalk
The Giant (voice)
2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Self (archive footage)
2009
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Papa Jenkins
2008
Earth
Narrator (voice)
2007
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
Self
2007
John, Paul, George and Ben
Narrator
2007
Searching for Orson
Self
2006
Click
Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)
2006
The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
Jack Jefferson (segment "The Great White Hope") / Troy Maxson (segment "Fences")
2006
Scary Movie 4
Narrator (uncredited)
2006
The Benchwarmers
Darth Vader (voice)
2006
The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy
Narrator
2006
Hollywood's Greatest Villains
Self
2005
The Sandlot 2
Mr. Mertle
2005
The Reading Room
William
2005
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)
2005
Robots
Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)
2005
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
Narrator
2005
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
Self
2004
Nine Dog Christmas
Storyteller (voice)
2004
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
Self
2004
The Story of Star Wars
Darth Vader (archive footage)
2004
Black Indians: An American Story
Narrator
2004
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
Maggie Simpson (voice)
2003
The Great Year
Narrator
2003
Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October'
Self
2003
Fredericksburg: A Documentary Film
Narrator
2002
Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World
Self
2001
Feast of All Saints
Older Marcel
2001
Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street
Mister (voice)
2001
Finder's Fee
Avery Phillips
2001
Disney's American Legends
Narrator
2001
Antietam: A Documentary Film
Narrator
2000
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
Self
2000
Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'
Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
2000
The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove
Self
2000
Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light
2000
Fantasia 2000
Self - Host
2000
Santa and Pete
Grandpa Nicholas
1999
The Annihilation of Fish
Fish
1999
Undercover Angel
The Judge
1999
On the Q.T.
Leo
1999
Summer's End
Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely
1999
Our Friend, Martin
Daddy King (voice)
1999
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Mufasa (voice)
1998
Primary Colors
CNN Voiceover (voice)
1998
Alone
Grey
1997
The Second Civil War
Jim Kalla
1997
What the Deaf Man Heard
Archibald Thacker
1997
Gang Related
Arthur Baylor
1997
Hitler's Forgotten Victims
Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
1997
Casper: A Spirited Beginning
Kibosh (voice)
1997
Sports on the Silver Screen
Self (archive footage)
1997
Good Luck
James Bing
1997
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
Self
1997
Afro Promo
Self (archive footage)
1997
Timepiece
Lawrence
1996
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
Dr. McDuffie
1996
Looking for Richard
Self - Interviewee
1996
Corwin
Self
1996
A Family Thing
Ray Murdock
1996
Cry, the Beloved Country
Rev. Stephen Kumalo
1995
Who's in Rabbit's House?
Narrator (voice)
1995
Judge Dredd
Narrator (uncredited)
1995
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
Host
1995
Jefferson in Paris
Madison Hemings
1995
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable
Mufasa
1995
People: A Musical Celebration
The Storyteller (voice)
1995
Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'
Narrator
1994
Clear and Present Danger
Admiral James Greer
1994
The Making of the Lion King
Self
1994
The Lion King
Mufasa (voice)
1994
The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics
Host
1994
Clean Slate
John Dolby
1994
Africa: The Serengeti
Narrator
1994
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
James Earl Jones (uncredited)
1994
Gangs: Turning the Corner
Self
1994
Confessions: Two Faces of Evil
Charles Lloyd
1994
The Vernon Johns Story
Vernon Johns
1994
Hallelujah
Old Man Taylor
1993
Michael Jackson: Dangerous - The Short Films
Self (voice) (uncredited)
1993
Percy & Thunder
Percy Banks
1993
The Meteor Man
Earnest Moses
1993
Dreamrider
Bill Perry
1993
Excessive Force
Jake
1993
The Sandlot
Mr. Mertle
1993
Sommersby
Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
1993
Lincoln
Narrator (voice)
1992
Sneakers
Mr. Bernard Abbott
1992
Patriot Games
Adm. James Greer
1992
The JFK Conspiracy
Self - Host
1992
True Identity
James Earl Jones
1991
When It Was a Game
(voice)
1991
Scorchers
Bear
1991
Portrait of Castro's Cuba
Host/Narrator
1991
Visitors from the Unknown
Narrator (voice)
1991
Convicts
Ben Johnson
1991
Grim Prairie Tales
Morrison
1990
Ivory Hunters
Inspector Nkuru
1990
Heat Wave
Junius Johnson
1990
Last Flight Out
Al Topping
1990
By Dawn's Early Light
Alice
1990
The Ambulance
Lt. Spencer
1990
The Hunt for Red October
Vice ADM James Greer
1990
Teach 109
Dr. Winston
1990
Terrorgram
Retribution (voice)
1990
11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried
Narrator
1989
Best of the Best
Frank Couzo
1989
Field of Dreams
Terrence Mann
1989
Three Fugitives
Dugan
1989
The Hunting of the Snark
Narrator (voice)
1989
Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark
Narrator
1989
Coming to America
King Jaffe Joffer
1988
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Narrator (voice)
1988
Matewan
'Few Clothes' Johnson
1987
Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night
Emperor of the Night (voice)
1987
Gardens of Stone
Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson
1987
A House Divided
1987
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
Umslopogaas
1986
Soul Man
Professor Banks
1986
My Little Girl
Ike Bailey
1986
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Genie / Narrator
1986
The Lone Star Kid
Holmes
1986
Moses
Pharaoh
1985
City Limits
Albert
1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates
1985
The Vegas Strip War
Jack Madrid
1984
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Narrator
1984
Return of the Jedi
Darth Vader (voice)
1983
Blood Tide
Frye
1982
Amy and the Angel
Gabriel
1982
The Flight of Dragons
Ommadon (voice)
1982
Conan the Barbarian
Thulsa Doom
1982
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast
Narrator (voice)
1981
The Creation
Narrator (voice)
1981
The Bushido Blade
The Prisoner
1981
There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues
himself, voice
1981
Beauty and the Beast
Narrator (voice)
1981
God's Trombones
Narrator (voice)
1981
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
Dane Oliver
1980
The Empire Strikes Back
Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1980
The Me Nobody Knows
Self
1980
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
Self - Host
1979
Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
1979
Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement
Self
1978
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Darth Vader (voice)
1978
The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened
Morris Bird, Jr.
1977
A Piece of the Action
Joshua Burke
1977
The Making of Star Wars
Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1977
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Older Kokumo
1977
The Last Remake of Beau Geste
Sheikh
1977
Star Wars
Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
1977
The Greatest
Malcolm X
1977
Swashbuckler
Nick Debrett
1976
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
Leon
1976
The River Niger
Johnny Williams
1976
Deadly Hero
Rabbit Shazam
1975
The UFO Incident
Barney Hill
1975
The Cay
Timothy
1974
Claudine
Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall
1974
King Lear
King Lear
1974
The Man
Douglass Dilman
1972
Malcolm X
Biographical Narration (voice)
1972
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream
Narrator
1971
The Great White Hope
Jack Jefferson
1970
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Self (archive footage)
1970
End of the Road
Doctor D
1970
The Comedians
Dr. Magiot
1967
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Lt. Lothar Zogg
1964
Broadway: The Next Generation
Self