Biography - James Earl Jones

Who is James Earl Jones?

James Earl Jones was an American actor.

James Earl Jones– Birth, Parents, Siblings

James Earl Jones’ birth took place on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, U.S.A. His father, Robert Earl Jones (1910–2006), worked as a butler, boxer, and chauffeur while his mother, Ruth Connolly, was a teacher and a maid.

Before James Earl Jones was born, his parents divorced, and he only reconciled with his father in the 1950s. Through his father’s subsequent marriages, Jones also has a half-brother, Matthew Earl Jones. Later on, his father went into acting and became one of the first African-American movie stars.

James Earl Jones was raised by his maternal grandparents, John Henry and Maggie Williams. The transition at the age of 5 to live with his grandparents was so traumatic that he began to develop a stutter. The stutter got so severe that he remained mute from his first year of school until his high school days, a total of eight years.

Education, Ethnicity

While James Earl Jones received his education at the Browning School for Boys and later at the Dickson Rural Agricultural School (now Brethren High School), his teacher had a great impact on his life. Jones’ English teacher, Donald Crouch, helped him overcome his silence as well as discover his talent for writing poetry.

After graduating high school as vice president of his class, Jones attended the University of Michigan, initially as a pre-med major. He later changed his subject to Drama at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. He graduated from the same in 1955. Jones also studied at the American Theatre Wing in New York.

His ethnicity was African- American, Irish, and Native American.

James Earl Jones – Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Divorce

While performing as Othello, James Earl Jones met actress/singer Julienne Marie. The two had met in 1964, and they married on January 2, 1968. Their marriage did not last, ending in divorce in 1972. They did not have any children together.

He went on to have an affair with actress Cecilia Hart, to whom he was married on March 15, 1982. Jones and his wife welcomed a son, Flynn Earl Jones, in 1982. After a year of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Hart passed away on October 16, 2016.

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James Earl Jones – Career

Military, Stage Career

As the war was ongoing in Korea, James Earl Jones joined the military. He had secured a position as a first lieutenant before he was discharged.

James Earl Jones began his career in acting at the Ramsdell Theatre. During his days in theater, he performed in Othello, The Great White Hope (1969), Fences (1987), Othello, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Measure for Measure, Hamlet, Of Mice and Men (1974), On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, etc. 

Since 2010, he has been a stage actor in Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man, Much Ado About Nothing, You Can't Take it With You (2014), and The Gin Game, among others.

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Film, TV Series

The skilled actor James Earl Jones has portrayed roles in films including Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), The Comedians (1967), The Great White Hope (1970), The Man (1972), Claudine (1974), The Cay (1974), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988),  The Sandlot (1993), A Family Thing (1996), among numerous others.

Other TV roles of Jones are Gabriel's Fire (1991), Under One Roof (1995), and An American Moment (1998), to name a few.

He lent his voice as a voice actor in movies- as Darth Vader in the Star Wars trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983) and in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Others include- Mufasa in The Lion King (1994), The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015), and The Lion King (2019).

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Co-stars

On the set of 2019's The Lion King, Jones has worked with Shahadi Wright Joseph, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Oliver, and Keegan-Michael Key.

James Earl Jones – Awards, Nominations

Jones was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards,  three Tony Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, an Academy Award, three Grammy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, etc.

Among the nominations he won Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (1969, 1987), Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor (1970), Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (1977), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (1990), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1990), Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special (1999), Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (2008) and an Academy Honorary Award (2011).

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James Earl Jones – Net Worth, Salary

Jones' net worth is estimated at around $40 million, while the figure on his annual salary is under review.

James Earl Jones – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On Twitter, James Earl Jones is followed by thousands of followers but is absent from Instagram and Facebook.

James Earl Jones – Death

James Earl Jones passed away on September 9, 2024, from diabetes. He was 93 years old.

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