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James Earl Jones
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<p>James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, he is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on <a href="/facts/James_Earl_Jones_on_screen_and_stage/TU5PRGIq">stage and screen</a>. Jones is one of the few performers to achieve the <a href="/facts/EGOT/gFCwj8y4">EGOT</a> (<a href="/facts/Emmy/M6GvMDJc">Emmy</a>, <a href="/facts/Grammy/2bxYJjPV">Grammy</a>, <a href="/facts/Academy_Awards/CwTxYuNQ">Oscar</a>, and <a href="/facts/Tony_Awards/Md77rBE0">Tony</a>). He was inducted into the <a href="/facts/American_Theater_Hall_of_Fame/Fp5NozC2">American Theater Hall of Fame</a> in 1985, and was honored with the <a href="/facts/National_Medal_of_Arts/XlgAvzqT">National Medal of Arts</a> in 1992, the <a href="/facts/Kennedy_Center_Honor/nxwfJFaa">Kennedy Center Honor</a> in 2002, the <a href="/facts/Screen_Actors_Guild_Life_Achievement_Award/tIS0yQE3">Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award</a> in 2009, and the <a href="/facts/Academy_Honorary_Award/P6mN6sIY">Academy Honorary Award</a> in 2011. </p><p>Born in <a href="/facts/Arkabutla%2c_Mississippi/r4LfAuDn">Arkabutla, Mississippi</a> during the <a href="/facts/Jim_Crow_era/uds2gQn8">Jim Crow era</a>, Jones overcame a childhood <a href="/facts/Stutter/smcUzSGB">stutter</a>. A <a href="/facts/Pre-med_major/f4BIEcxb">pre-med major</a> in college, he served as an officer in the <a href="/facts/U.S._Army_during_the_Korean_War/IvHHd6Uw">U.S. Army during the Korean War</a> before pursuing a career in acting. His deep voice was praised as a "stirring <a href="/facts/Basso_profondo/CBGGNWGI">basso profondo</a> that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects. Jones made his <a href="/facts/Broadway_theatre/6USkK8x9">Broadway</a> debut in the play <i><a href="/facts/Sunrise_at_Campobello_(play)/0bKfGdA5">Sunrise at Campobello</a></i> (1957) and gained fame starring in several productions with <a href="/facts/Shakespeare_in_the_Park/BEftmCe4">Shakespeare in the Park</a> including <i><a href="/facts/Othello/Jvq9NLa4">Othello</a></i> (1964), <i><a href="/facts/Coriolanus/l3LmUPXn">Coriolanus</a></i> (1965), <i><a href="/facts/Hamlet/fm6AnR17">Hamlet</a></i> (1972), and <i><a href="/facts/King_Lear/FuQnmmGj">King Lear</a></i> (1973). </p><p>For his roles on Broadway, Jones won two <a href="/facts/Tony_Award_for_Best_Actor_in_a_Play/WgNUKFNC">Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play</a> for playing a <a href="/facts/Boxer_(boxing)/BrY1zmP4">boxer</a> in the <a href="/facts/Howard_Sackler/dr4enHor">Howard Sackler</a> play <i><a href="/facts/The_Great_White_Hope/fNuMeKqF">The Great White Hope</a></i> (1968) and a <a href="/facts/Working_class/vX7fPNBo">working class</a> father in <a href="/facts/August_Wilson/g7RHWf6B">August Wilson</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Fences_(play)/BSmk4DbN">Fences</a></i> (1987). He was also nominated for other Tonys for his roles as part of an elderly couple in <i><a href="/facts/On_Golden_Pond_(play)/guWSLV2r">On Golden Pond</a></i> (2005) and as a former president in <i><a href="/facts/The_Best_Man_(play)/WNLXbqzs">The Best Man</a></i> (2012). Jones also acted in <i><a href="/facts/Cat_on_a_Hot_Tin_Roof/cacL1E7I">Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</a></i> (2008), <i><a href="/facts/Driving_Miss_Daisy_(play)/fcz4EzuR">Driving Miss Daisy</a></i> (2010–2011), <i><a href="/facts/You_Can%2527t_Take_It_with_You_(play)/oURh5uyd">You Can't Take It with You</a></i> (2014), and <i><a href="/facts/The_Gin_Game/u3gRzLaY">The Gin Game</a></i> (2015). He received a <a href="/facts/Special_Tony_Award/YGuJKBmU">Special Tony Award</a> for Lifetime Achievement in 2017. </p><p>On film, Jones made his acting debut in <a href="/facts/Stanley_Kubrick/y5cxcQzV">Stanley Kubrick</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Dr._Strangelove/QfYCyoPI">Dr. Strangelove</a></i> (1964). He reprised his role as a boxer in the film adaptation of <i><a href="/facts/The_Great_White_Hope_(film)/nWzBM4AM">The Great White Hope</a></i> (1970), earning a nomination for the <a href="/facts/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor/ESeGU7vo">Academy Award for Best Actor</a>. He gained international fame for his voice role as <a href="/facts/Darth_Vader/gy1XBNa9">Darth Vader</a> in the <i><a href="/facts/Star_Wars/9Y5j3IPP">Star Wars</a></i> franchise. Jones also appeared in <i><a href="/facts/The_Man_(1972_film)/JJhzqhcB">The Man</a></i> (1972), <i><a href="/facts/Claudine_(film)/tQt6TPBl">Claudine</a></i> (1974), <i><a href="/facts/Conan_the_Barbarian_(1982_film)/oBel0zJC">Conan the Barbarian</a></i> (1982), <i><a href="/facts/Matewan/a0DmAlck">Matewan</a></i> (1987), <i><a href="/facts/Coming_to_America/5XcG19ut">Coming to America</a></i> (1988), <i><a href="/facts/Field_of_Dreams/EaCsVnUH">Field of Dreams</a></i> (1989), <i><a href="/facts/Best_of_the_Best_(1989_film)/Ag7pb13A">Best of the Best</a></i> (1989), <i><a href="/facts/The_Hunt_for_Red_October_(film)/3J4VaVKg">The Hunt for Red October</a></i> (1990), <i><a href="/facts/Sneakers_(1992_film)/cudrXKYj">Sneakers</a></i> (1992), <i><a href="/facts/The_Sandlot/Vyj3k0Vo">The Sandlot</a></i> (1993), <i><a href="/facts/The_Lion_King/VCwjuv59">The Lion King</a></i> (1994), and <i><a href="/facts/Cry%2c_the_Beloved_Country_(1995_film)/1B1IRuGp">Cry, the Beloved Country</a></i> (1995). </p>