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Want more like this? Read, “What you didn’t know about James Earl Jones.“

At the age of 93 the world lost a treasured man, James Earl Jones on September 9, 2024.

He had one of the most legendary careers in Hollywood and is one of the few entertainers to capture all the performing arts awards, winning an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, as well as a Tony award.

He was known for his deep voice and commanding screen presence.

He served in the Army and was a Korean War veteran.

He was also the voice of my childhood.

Like many people my age and older, James Earl Jones was a constant presence in many of my favorite movies.

I would first encounter Jones’ work as the voice of Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

“The Lion King” holds a special place in heart. It was the first movie I saw in theaters. I was four years old that summer.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

My parents dropped my little brother off at my grandparents’ and a short while later I would enter a large dark room with a bucket of popcorn bigger than my head.

I was entranced. I loved the movie so much. I still do. Mufasa was my favorite character. My favorite part of the movie is always in the beginning when he rescues a young Simba and Nala.

I had a Mufasa poster. Even though he’s only in the movie for the first half I loved every second of it. It tore my small heart out when he died.

Just like it tore my big heart out that James Earl Jones died.

Jones played a role in another core part of my childhood. You cannot write something about James Earl Jones without mentioning his work as Darth Vader.

I was only a bit older when I saw “Star Wars,” and again, I was immediately entranced.

Darth Vader is maybe the most iconic villain of all time. Vader’s story is the story of “Star Wars.” In the first movie he’s a terrifying general. His armor is intimidating and he chokes out subordinates with no remorse.

Then you find out that he is in fact Luke’s father.

Jones saying “No, I am your father” broke my brain as a kid.

When I got older he would yet again find another important spot in my childhood.

I, along with my brother, were old enough that sports had now become our obsession and a little baseball movie called “The Sandlot” would become a staple of our lives. The movie would play often in the summer and we spent those glorious three months without school playing baseball and football in the neighborhood.

James Earl Jones plays Mr. Mertle, the owner of “The Beast” who turns out to be a dog named Hercules. You find out at the end of the movie that he’s not a scary old man but just a guy who wants to talk baseball.

He was such a fine actor and as I grew up I would find him in more movies I love. There was “Field of Dreams,” and “Clear and Present Danger,” and one of my favorite comedies ever is “Coming to America.”

One of my favorite roles he played was in the “Big Bang Theory”—of all shows—where James Earl Jones plays an outlandish version of himself whose depravity upsets Sheldon Cooper.

You can tell he had fun with the role.

He had quite the career and so many accolades.

And he will be forever a part of film heritage.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jones.
~

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