His was perhaps the most iconic voice in all of cinema.
On Monday, September 9th, James Earl Jones passed away.
Born in 1931, Jones came from a poor family in Mississippi, where his father abandoned them to become an actor when James was only 5. Although they eventually reconciled, James had to move to live with his grandparents in Michigan. He became so nervous that he developed a stutter that was severe enough to render him almost mute. But one day a teacher noticed his talent for writing poetry and nurtured him into finding his voice. If that teacher had not done that, the world would be robbed of that irreplaceable voice.
Jones went to the University of Michigan and joined the army, but was not called up until after the end of the Korean War. After his time there, he went to New York to become an actor. His reputation grew as he performed Shakespeare to much acclaim. He won awards for portraying boxer Jack Johnson in the play The Great White Hope, which he then played on screen.
While he is remembered so much for his voice, he was a powerful presence on the screen. He could be a farmidable villain in Thusla Doom or a stabilizing presence with his James Greer in the Jack Ryan movies. He was also one of the few actors that could pull off comedy as well as drama. His supporting turn in Coming to America is incredibly funny. And his lampoon of himself on The Big Bang Theory is one of my favorite episodes.
I think that the movie that best shows his range is one of his best known: Field of Dreams. In that movie he is dramatic, mysterious, funny, and sage. All of these mixing qualities never feel false. You believe he could beat Kevin Costner with a crowbar one moment and then giggle like a child at the idea of leaving this mortal plain. His "People Will Come" speech might be one of the finest in movie history and it is not simply because of the writing. His absolute commitment to that monologue makes it move from good to timeless.
But once again, we must return to that voice. He gave Star Wars such a great villain in his voice for Darth Vader. For my generation, Darth Vader was the embodiment of evil. That voice gave him a power that was terrifying. The look itself was scary, but that voice left an indelible mark on all of us. There was no mistaking it, there was no replacing it. It was often imitated, but could never be replaced.
And I don't think people give him enough credit for the nuance he put into that role. Go back and listen to his performances. In the first movie, there is a youthful arrogance in his inflections. In our memories we hear the weight of that heavy voice. But listen to how he talks to Obi-Wan with little taunts like "Your powers are weak old man." He says this like an immature youth. By the time you get to Return of the Jedi, you hear the wear and tear in his voice. The long loneliness of the the dark side is keeping him from his son and that is reflected in that voice with his final line, "Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes."
His regal voice gave such emotional weight to the story of The Lion King. His classic line "Remember who you are," feels like it carries with it the wisdom of the ages. He carried that power and dignity through an amazing career on stage and screen, helping him to be one of the rare EGOT achievers.
Jones was married twice. He met each of his wives when he was playing Othello and she played opposite him as Desdemono. He and his first wife divorced after 8 years. His second wife in 1982 and they were together until her death 35 years later in 2016. They are survived by their one son, Flynn.
Many people may not know that, like Star Wars co-star Sir Alec Guiness, Jones was a convert to the Catholic faith. Also like Guiness, he did not speak about it much publicly. He converted while he was in the military and briefly discerned a call to the priesthood. He said of that time, "The only thing that I had that was not geared toward the art of killing was the Catholic Church... and the complete works of Shakespeare."
And with that in mind, I think it fitting that we end with words from his beloved Shakespeare:
"He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again."
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Rest in Peace, James Earl Jones
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