Fans, Friends, And Colleagues Reflect On James Earl Jones’ Legacy

He might be best known as the inimitable voice of Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” or to younger audiences as Mufasa in the Disney film “The Lion King.” But to those who knew him and followed his decades-long career, James Earl Jones was much more than his booming baritone.

Generations of influence

Jones lived to the ripe age of 93, but when his death was announced on Monday it still came as a shock to fans around the world. His countless performances on stage, silver screen, and television garnered praise from critics and audiences alike — and his impact helped pave the way for generations of actors who came after him.

“If you are an actor or aspired to be an actor or you pounded the pavement in these streets looking for jobs and doing things, one of the standards that we always had was to be a James Earl Jones,” remarked actor Samuel L. Jackson during a 2022 ceremony in which a New York City theater was renamed in Jones’ honor.

He brought characters to life in each of seven consecutive decades — beginning with “Dr. Strangelove” in 1964 and ending in 2021 with the reprisal of his King Joffer role in the sequel “Coming 2 America.”

A legacy onscreen and off

It’s clear from his ability to perform everything from sci-fi to Shakespeare to “The Simpsons” that Jones was a versatile actor. And the fact that he’s a member of the exclusive EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) club only further proves his chops. He won each of those awards — and two each of the Emmy and Tony — throughout his career.

But he was just as respected off stage, as Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King said, noting that her parents admired his “commitment to justice.”

Chris Agee September 11th, 2024

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