Jones, James Earl (1931- ), American stage and film actor, noted for his particularly deep voice. He was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi. Raised in Michigan by his maternal grandparents, Jones overcame a stutter while in high school and won a scholarship at the University of Michigan, where he eventually studied drama. He moved to New York City in 1955 to pursue a stage career, and was united with his father, the actor Robert Earl Jones, who had left the family before his birth. After years of playing bit parts, Jones won recognition for his performance in Jean Genet's The Blacks (1961) and in 1962 won an Obie Award as best off-Broadway actor. In 1964 he appeared in Othello for the first time, a role he repeated several times.

Jones won national recognition and a Tony Award in 1969 for his portrayal of Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight boxing champion, in The Great White Hope and won a second Tony for best actor in 1987 for his performance in Fences, a play set in the early civil-rights era. He also appeared in numerous films and on television, winning an Emmy as best actor in a dramatic series, for "Gabriel's Fire." Film credits included Dr. Strangelove (1964), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Gardens of Stone (1987), Field of Dreams (1989), and The Hunt for Red October (1990). On television he starred in the detective series Paris (1979-80) and co-starred in the crime series Pros and Cons. His distinctive voice became well known through his character of Darth Vader in the films Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), and through many television commercials.

 

 

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