Line #13 Creator/JamesEarlJones


1	[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_earl_jones.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:310:[[Film/ANewHope He finds your lack of faith disturbing.]]]]
3
4	->''"This is CNN."''
5	-->-- '''James Earl Jones''', [[UsefulNotes/NewsNetworks CNN]] [[StationIdent Station Identification]]
6
7	U.S. Army Ranger. Played blue-eyed [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Thulsa Doom]]. He ''is'' {{God}}, [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Mufasa]], [[Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning Kibosh]], Theatre/{{Othello}}, General [[TheDanza James]] [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun Solomon]], and (in [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E6TreehouseOfHorrorV a single]] "WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror" episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') Maggie Simpson. Also did commercials for Verizon (and its predecessor Bell Atlantic) for a while.
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9	A noted American actor of stage and screen who was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is famous for his sonorous bass voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally of bass register, which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.) His father was Robert Earl Jones, [[InTheBlood also a noted actor]] whose most recognized role was Luther in ''Film/TheSting''.
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11	Here is a clear demonstration of just how perfect his voice is for the role (or rather, a demonstration of how lame things would have been without him): A pre-voiceover clip showing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQFho0_G1VI Darth Vader voiced by his on-screen character's actor]], Creator/DavidProwse, who had the right stature for the character. Jones himself was cast later, after George Lucas realized Prowse's own voice, uh, would not work. Jones would officially retire from voicing Vader in 2022, having given Lucasfilm permission to use the Respeecher A.I. voice synthesizer to recreate his voice for all future projects starting with ''Series/ObiWanKenobi''.
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13	HeAlsoDid some funny [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=7VV52m_wpgQ Sprint commercials]] with Creator/MalcolmMcDowell. Notable for making the first full-fledged [[SesameStreetCred celebrity cameo]] on ''Series/SesameStreet'', reciting the alphabet on the show's second episode in 1969.[[note]]Creator/CarolBurnett made an extremely short appearance in the first episode[[/note]]
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15	----
16	!!Filmography on TV Tropes:
17	* ''Film/DrStrangelove'' (1964) -- Lt. Lothar Zogg
18	* ''Theatre/TheGreatWhiteHope'' (1967 stage play, 1970 film adaptation) -- Jack Jefferson
19	* ''Film/TheComedians'' (1967) -- Dr. Magiot
20	* ''Theatre/KingLear'' (1974 TV movie) -- Lear
21	* ''Film/DeadlyHero'' (1975) -- Rabbit
22	* ''Film/{{Swashbuckler}}'' (1976) -- Nick Debrett
23	* ''Franchise/StarWars'' -- [[Characters/StarWarsDarthVaderAndServants Darth Vader]] (voice; originally uncredited)
24	** ''Film/ANewHope'' (1977)
25	** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' (1980)
26	** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' (1983)
27	** ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' (2005)
28	** ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' (2014-2018)
29	** ''Film/RogueOne'' (2016)
30	** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' (2019, voice cameo)
31	** ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'' (2022)[[note]]Jones is credited, but he did not physically perform the dialogue due to age having taken its toll on him. Vader's voice was synthesized via Respeecher. Due to his retirement, this will also apply to any future role reprises.[[/note]]
32	* ''Film/ExorcistIITheHeretic'' (1977) -- Older Kokumo
33	* ''Film/TheLastRemakeOfBeauGeste'' (1977) -- Sheikh
34	* ''Film/{{Conan the Barbarian\|1982}}'' (1982) -- Thulsa Doom
35	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlightOfDragons'' (1982) -- Ommadon
36	* ''WesternAnimation/TheCreation'' (1982) -- animated short, narration
37	* ''Film/CityLimits'' (1985) -- Albert
38	* ''Film/SoulMan'' (1986) -- Professor Banks
39	* ''Film/{{Matewan}}'' (1987) -- "Few Clothes" Johnson
40	* ''WesternAnimation/PinocchioAndTheEmperorOfTheNight'' (1987) -- The Emperor of the Night
41	* ''Film/ComingToAmerica'' (1988) -- King Jaffe Joffer
42	** ''Film/Coming2America'' (2021)
43	* ''Film/ThreeFugitives'' (1989 -- Detective Movan Duggan
44	* ''Film/FieldOfDreams'' (1989) -- Terence Mann
45	* ''Film/BestOfTheBest'' (1989) -- Frank Couzo
46	* ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' (1990) -- Admiral James Greer
47	** ''Film/PatriotGames'' (1992)
48	** ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger'' (1994)
49	* ''Film/TheAmbulance'' (1990) -- Lt. Spencer
50	* ''Film/GrimPrairieTales'' (1990) -- Morrison
51	* ''Film/{{Sneakers}}'' (1992) -- NSA Agent Bernard Abbott
52	* ''Film/{{Sommersby}}'' (1993) -- Judge Barry Conrad Isaacs
53	* ''Film/TheSandlot'' (1993) -- Mr. Mertle
54	* ''Film/TheMeteorMan'' (1993) -- Earnest Moses
55	* ''Film/CleanSlate'' (1994) -- Dolby
56	* ''Franchise/TheLionKing'' franchise -- Mufasa
57	** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King\|1994}}'' (1994)
58	** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'' (1998)
59	** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' (2005) -- via archived audio from the movie
60	** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' (2015 - 2019; pilot only)
61	** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King\|2019}}'' (2019) -- Jones is the only actor from the original film to reprise his role a quarter of a century later in the [[TheRemake photorealistic CGI adaptation]]
62	* ''Literature/CryTheBelovedCountry'' (1995) -- Rev. Stephen Kumalo
63	* ''Film/JudgeDredd'' (1995) -- {{Narrator}}
64	* ''Series/{{Under One Roof\|1995}}'' (1995) -- Nesbit "Neb" Langston
65	* ''Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning'' (1997) -- Kibosh
66	* ''Film/GangRelated'' (1997) -- Arthur Baylor
67	* ''Series/StargateSG1'' (1997) [[Recap/StargateSG1S1E9ThorsHammer "Thor's Hammer"]] -- Unas
68	* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' (1997) -- Felix Wilson (three episodes)
69	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' (1999) -- GDI General James Solomon
70	* ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' (2000) -- [[AsHimself Himself]]
71	* ''Film/FindersFee'' (2001) -- Avery Phillips
72	----
73	[[TheStinger CNN.]] [[Film/KungPowEnterTheFist C...N...N...]]
74	-->''[[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack I am your father.]]''

Context Creator / JamesEarlJones