james earl jones
actor

When people speak of James Earl Jones they usually begin with the voice. They try to find words that effectively describe this beautiful yet bottomless vocal quality that seems to come simultaneously from some place both low and guttural and high and transcendent. After throwing around words like deep and low (and sometimes simply “Black”) they usually settle for a reference to Darth Vader, the Universe’s most popular Sith. And then everyone goes “Oh yeahhh.”

But that is not James Earl Jones. When you speak of James Earl Jones speak of the man who has been making significant contributions to the arts practically non-stop for the last five decades. When you speak of James Earl Jones speak of the presence and dignity he has brought to every project he has ever been in. To every appearance you have ever seen him make. Speak of how he has provided the template for the way in which a rooted man is supposed to comport himself, express himself and assert himself.

Then once you have spoken about all of that then you can talk about the voice. Because it is the representation, not the culmination, of what makes the man great.

Respect to James Earl Jones for a lifetime of achievement…Regality never sounded so good.

+ The following quotes have been taken from interviews of James Earl Jones

“I run counter to the Constitution, which allows for the pursuit of happiness. Well, happiness is kind of something giddy. And from my people, the concept of contentment was what you were after, not to keep up with the Joneses, not to be driven…And I'm not saying the virtue of laziness, but the virtue of being easy on yourself. The virtue of finding an ambition that carried with it lack of anxiety.”

1931
Todd Jones, later known as James Earl, is born in Arkabutla Township, Mississippi to Robert Ruth and Robert Earl Jones

1936
Jones moves to Jackson, Michigan to live with his grandparents. Traumatized by the move, the young boy develops a severe stuttering problem and refuses to speak in public for years.

“It wasn't that I stopped talking, it's that I resolved that talking was too difficult.”

1941
Jones writes a poem dedicated to his love of grapefruit in the epic meter of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Hiawatha.” Impressed with the youngster’s poetic talent, a teacher goads Jones into reciting the poem thus ending his spell of muteness.

1949
Jones accepts a scholarship to the University of Michigan with plans to study medicine.

Jones makes his acting debut in a college production of Deep Are the Roots by Arnaud d'Usseau and James Gow.

1953
Jones graduates from the University of Michigan with a degree in Drama

Jones is recruited for a two year tour of military duty and is sent to the Fort Benning Army Base in Georgia for Basic Infantry Officers School. After his stint, Jones is released and resumes his pursuit of an acting career.

“When I first came to the theater, I followed Sidney Poitier's generation, which is not far ahead of mine, a couple of years. He had established the height of what young black actors could do, the rest of us were there to establish the breadth. I figured there was room for all of us: for Lou Gossett, for Raymond St. Jacques, for Godfrey Cambridge, for Billy Dee Williams. There was room for all of us, so we never felt competitive, and that was a blessing. I continued to feel that.”

1957
Jones makes his Broadway debut as the understudy in The Egghead. He becomes a staple of the Great White Way for the next 50 plus years

1961
Jones appears in the American premiere of The Blacks, Jean Genet’s absurdist drama. The production provides the coming out party for a new generation of Black American actors including Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Brown, Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques and Maya Angelou.

“We weren't playing sharecroppers, we weren't playing street dudes, we were playing people of the world. It had some relevance to the movement at that time, the civil rights movement, and acknowledged the danger of racism. Genet was very clever. He wasn't saying whites were bad and blacks were victims. He was saying any race who takes on a superior position is going to be threatened by the other race taking it on. It could flip-flop. It was an important message at the time.”

1962
Jones garners an Obie for Best Actor in Off Broadway Theater for his performance in Clandestine on the Morning Line.

1963
Jones receives an Emmy nomination for his guest-star spots in the television series East Side, West Side starring George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson

1964
Jones makes his film debut as a military strongman in director Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove

1965
Jones wins two Obie awards for his performances in Bertolt Brecht’s Baal and Shakespeare’s Othello.

“No one asked me to be an actor, so no one owed me. There was no entitlement. Still is not…I think the arts in general, no one asks you. They might ask you to fly an airplane; they might ask you to raise wheat. But they don't ask you to sing a song. That is still considered, in this society, one of those elitist or luxury endeavors”

1968
Jones makes his breakthrough in the role of legendary boxer Jack Johnson in the Broadway hit, The Great White Hope. The role catapults Jones into stardom and garners him a Tony Award.

1969
Jones participates in a series of test films for an experimental children’s television series titled Sesame Street. Jones’ tests viewed well and he became one of the first celebrities, along with Carol Burnett, to appear on the long running and celebrated television show.