James Earl Jones came into this world on a mission all his own, the actor who forged his way through considerable obstacles to create a formidable presence on stage and screen and on the nation’s cultural landscape. Through his decades-long career, the nation watched and grew to admire him in daytime TV drama, feature films and Broadway theater.

He died Sept. 9 at the age of 93 after having performed well into his 80s. His work earned him some of the industry’s highest honors; among them were two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy and a special Tony for lifetime achievement.  

He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. The Shubert Organization’s Cort Theatre on Broadway was named after him in 2022. Jones made his film debut in 1964 in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. Soon to follow were appearances in a long string of films, including The Man, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, The Lion King and Cry the Beloved Country. Film history holds a unique place for him for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the original film in 1977.

His Broadway performance in 1970 in The Great White Hope was a defining moment for Jones. He played the role of Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, in Howard Sackler’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which explored Johnson’s career against the backdrop of 20th-century racism in America. In 1972, Jones repeated his role in the film version of the play and was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor. He was a favorite with New York Shakespeare Festival audiences, appearing in the title roles of Othello, Macbeth and King Lear.

Born into extreme poverty Jan. 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones was abandoned by his father. When he was 6 years old, his mother took him to her parents’ farm near Manistee, Michigan. There his grandparents adopted and raised him.

“A world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,” Jones wrote in his autobiography, Voices and Silences. “The move from Mississippi to Michigan was supposed to be a glorious event. For me it was a heartbreak, and not long after, I began to stutter.” He remained virtually mute for years.

At the University of Michigan, Jones failed a pre-med exam and switched to drama. He played basketball for four seasons and served in the Army from 1953 to 1955. “He cut an elegant figure late in life,” the Associated Press wrote of him recently, “with a wry sense of humor and a ferocious work habit. In 2015, he arrived at rehearsals for a Broadway run of The Gin Game having already memorized the play and with notebooks filled with comments from the creative team. He said he was always in service of the work.”  

“The need to storytell has always been with us,” Jones said. “I think it first happened around campfires when the man came home and told his family he got the bear, the bear didn’t get him.”

The life of James Earl Jones is filled with extraordinary stories, told in ways that are uniquely his—extraordinary, life enriching, unforgettable.

The museum sends our sincere condolences to his family and all those who will feel this immense loss.

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