The world has just been hit with the tragic news that James Earl Jones has passed away. Surrounded by his family, he died at his home in Pawling, NY at the age of 93. The cause of death has yet to be revealed. Jones was a ground-breaking pioneer for African Americans for his work in the entertainment industry, a resume that dates all the way back to 1955 and includes both on-screen and off-screen performances.
He was perhaps best known for his distinct voice, that deep basso profondo that made his performances so distinguished. His tone could go from dignified to menacing in the blink of an eye. Jones lent his voice to several characters over the years, most notably Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, turning them both into icons.
Although he’s gone, James Earl Jones will live on forever through his movies — and will continue to live on as Darth Vader, thanks to a deal that he penned with Lucasfilm in 2022.
James Earl Jones’ Rise to Fame
Few people know that James Earl Jones, arguably the best voice actor of all time, suffered from a stutter during his childhood. It was poetry and acting that helped him overcome this disability. Jones kicked off his acting career with theater in 1955, appearing in both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. He became known as one of the best Shakespearean actors during the 1960s and would continue to act in Shakespearean works throughout his life. Jones made his film debut when he was cast in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 satirical black comedy, Dr. Strangelove.
He also participated in making test films for a new children’s series called Sesame Street. His segment, which shows Jones counting slowly to ten, proved to have the greatest impact on child test audiences. The segment eventually aired when Sesame Street made its debut, technically making Jones the first celebrity guest on the series. He continued to act in film, TV, and on stage during the 1970s.
Most notably, Jones appeared in 1970’s The Great White Hope, earning Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor, and in 1974’s Caludine, which landed him another Golden Globe nomination. Despite this success, it was what came next that catapulted James Earl Jones to international fame.
Breathing Life Into Darth Vader
Only true Star Wars fans know that David Prowse was the physical embodiment of the evil Darth Vader, the man behind the mask. Star Wars creator George Lucas gave Prowse a shot at providing the character’s voice, but he decided that the actor’s strong West Country accent didn’t pair well with the role. So Lucas tapped James Earl Jones to play the voice of Darth Vader, which was shockingly his first voiceover performance. And from there, the rest is history. Using only words, Jones perfectly captured the dark, imposing, and sinister nature of Darth Vader.
Per his own request, Jones wasn’t credited in the first two original Star Wars movies because he felt like his performance fell in the category of special effects. But that didn’t stop Jones from attracting international recognition for the role. By the third film, Return of the Jedi, Jones was so closely linked to the character that he decided to add his name to the credits. His name has also been added to reissues of the first two original films.
It’s impossible now to separate the actor from his Star Wars counterpart. Although he provided only the voice, James Earl Jones i s Darth Vader. That deep, menacing voice is one of the defining traits of Darth Vader and helped turn the character into a global icon.
The Deal with Lucasfilm
James Earl Jones’ career took off after the tremendous success of Star Wars. He appeared on-screen in many films, such as Field of Dreams, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, The Sandlot, and many others. But his most famous role, aside from Star Wars, turned out to be another voiceover performance. Jones voiced Mufasa in Disney’s animated classic, The Lion King, creating a powerful but dignified character using only his words. He reprised the role in Disney’s 2019 CGI remake of The Lion King, the only original cast member to do so. His final screen credit was 2021’s comedy sequel, Coming 2 America.
Jones did return to the role of Darth Vader a handful of times after the original trilogy. He lent his voice to the character in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith (though it’s unclear whether this was really him) and 2016’s Rogue One. His three-word cameo in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker marked his final performance as Darth Vader.
Jones Authorized Lucasfilm to Artificially Generate His Voice Indefinitely Using AI
But wait, you may be saying, we heard Jones’ voice in the Disney+ miniseries, Obi-Wan Kenobi. So what gives? That actually wasn’t James Earl Jones. At least, not really. Respeecher, a Ukrainian software company that utilizes artificial intelligence to mimic another person’s voice, generated all of Darth Vader’s lines beneath the mask.
And that’s how it’ll be going forward. During the show’s production, Jones penned a deal with Lucasfilm, authorizing the studio to use archival recordings of his voice to artificially generate the voice of Darth Vader for all future Star Wars projects. Once the deal was signed, Jones officially retired from the role of Darth Vader in September 2022.
Where Darth Vader Could Show up Next
So what’s next for Darth Vader and James Earl Jones’ voice? At this point, it’s hard to know when we’ll see this iconic character and hear that sinister voice again. Many of the reported forthcoming Star Wars projects are set during eras that are outside of Darth Vader’s timeline. James Mangold’s untitled Dawn of the Jedi film will be set 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace and explore the origins of the Jedi. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s untitled New Jedi Order film will follow Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley) as she tries to rebuild the Jedi after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
As of now, it seems like the best chance for Darth Vader to pop up is in the anthology film, Rogue Squadron. It follows the events of Rogue One, which means that it’s set during the Skywalker Saga — which means that Darth Vader will be alive and well. Will he make an appearance? It’s unclear. But given the deal with Lucasfilms, Darth Vader is bound to make an appearance in a Star Wars project sooner or later — and through him, so will James Earl Jones.