Remembering James Earl Jones: A Stutterer Who Immortalised Darth Vader With His Voice

James Earl Jones was described as one of America's most distinguished and versatile actors for his performances on both screen and stage. The actor's passing has left a void in the Hollywood industry as he was not just a versatile actor but also an iconic voice artist. He is also one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) - four highly prestigious awards of Hollywood.

 James Earl Jones died Monday (September 9) morning at home in New York’s Hudson Valley region. The cause was not immediately clear.

James Earl Jones' difficult childhood

Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on January 17, 1931, the veteran star had a stutter since childhood. His father, Robert Earl Jones, had deserted his wife before the baby’s arrival to pursue life as a boxer and, later, an actor. When Jones was 6, his mother took him to her parents’ farm near Manistee, Michigan. His grandparents adopted the boy and raised him. He once revealed that poetry and acting helped him overcome the challenges of his disability.

Before pursuing his career in the entertainment world, he studied in a medical college and as a pre-med major, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War.

About James Earl Jones' exemplary career

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 on Sunrise at Campobello and gained prominence for acting in numerous productions with Shakespeare in the Park, including Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear. After proving his mettle in the theatrical world, he stepped into the TV world in 1963 with the show East Side/West Side and the next year (1964) he forayed into movies with the political satire film Dr Strangelove.  He then went on to star in the 1970 film The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson, a role he first played in the Broadway production of the same name. His other work in the 1970s included Malcolm X (1972), The River Niger (1976), Swashbuckler (1976), The Greatest (1977), and Richard Boone (1979).

Apart from being an actor, he had notably voiced the antagonist Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. He was also notable for voicing the Disney character Mufasa, first in the 1994 animated film The Lion King, its sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.

James Earl Jones' achieved milestone of EGOT

EGOT, an acronym for the  Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, is the designation given to artists who have won all four of the major American awards. The late actor won his first prestigious award - the Tony Award in 1969 for Best Leading Actor in a Play titled The Great White Hope. His next award was a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording (Great American Documents) in 1977. In 1987, he again won Tony Awards this time Best Leading Actor in a Play titled Fences. In 1991 he won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Gabriel's Fire) and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Heat Wave).

In 2000, he won Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer − Children's Special – Summer's End. In 2011 and 2017, he was honoured with lifetime achievement awards for his work - the Academy Honorary Award and the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.