James earl jones parents
- •
James Earl Jones
What was it like growing up in small towns in the rural Mississippi and Michigan in the 1930s and ’40s?
James Earl Jones: It was very simple. Blessedly simple. I think the extent to which I have any balance at all, any mental balance, is because of being a farm kid and being raised in those isolated rural areas. Even in Mississippi there was no immediate concern about social problems, you know. We were a feudal system of our own. Grandpa was a feudal lord, and we all did our work, you know. And there were 13 of us in the household. We were self-sufficient. My grandmother though, began to prepare us in her own neurotic — and I think psychotic — way to face racism. So, she taught us to be racist, which is something I had to undo later when I got to Michigan, you know.
In Michigan it was even more isolated. Nine months of snow! As much as I yearned to flee that when I was a teenager, now I yearn to get back to that simplicity. My son now appreciates that. He’s 13. He prefers to be in the country.
What ideas, values or experiences did you bring with
- •
James Earl Jones
1931-2024
James Earl Jones News: Actor Dies at Age 93
James Earl Jones, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in Star Wars and The Lion King, died in his home in Duchess County, New York, on September 9. The cause of death hasn’t yet been disclosed. The 93-year-old honorary EGOT winner is survived by his son, Flynn Earl Jones.
Who Was James Earl Jones?
James Earl Jones was a Tony-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning actor with a long list of successful movies and plays. Known for his deep, booming voice—most memorably captured as Darth Vader in the Star Wars film franchise—Jones developed a severe stutter as a child that he overcame during his high school years. He won Tony Awards for his lead performances in The Great White Hope and Fences. In 1991, the actor made history as the first to win two Emmy Awards in the same year for dramatic work. His Grammy Award recognized his contribution to the educational recording Great American Documents. Jones died in September 2024 at age 93.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: James Earl Jones
BORN: January 17, 1931
DIED:
- •
Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. It appeared to work as he has since starred in many films over a 40-year period, beginning with the Stanley Kubrick classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). For several movie fans, he is probably best known for his role as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy (due to his contribution for the voice of the role, as the man in the Darth Vader suit was David Prowse, whose voice was dubbed because of his British West Country accent). In his brilliant course of memorable performances, among others, he has also appeared on the animated series The Simpsons (1989) three times and played Mufasa both in The Lion King (1994) and The Lion King (2019), while he returned too as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2