Everything about Jones was big: his stage presence, the intensity of his glance and the brilliance of his craft. From Star Wars to The Lion King to CNN, his voice pervaded popular culture.
James Earl Jones, pictured here in 2014, followed in the footsteps of actors like Sidney Poitier, Paul Robeson and Canada Lee, all of whom refused to be limited by stereotypical roles.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news.One of America's most beloved actors, James Earl Jones, died Monday at age 93.
"I was able to function as a farm kid, doing all those chores where you call animals," he told WHYY'sin 1993,"and I certainly let the family know what my needs were. But when strangers came to the house, the mute happened. I didn't want to confront them and I wasn't ready. I hid in a state of muteness."
Everything about him was big: his commanding stage presence, the intensity of his glance and his brilliance at his chosen craft. Woodie King Jr. is founder of New York's New Federal Theater, which has been producing shows by and about African-Americans throughout its history. He first became aware of Jones in the early 1960s.
Jones won a Tony for that role, as well as an Oscar nomination for the 1970 film adaptation, and he won a second Tony in 1987 for his role in August Wilson's— Jones also had an extensive film career. His first film role was as bombardier Lothar Zogg in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic, Jones remembered the beginning of his voice-over career with amusement."I think the first commercials I did ... they asked me to 'just give us the sound of God.' ...
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