History Creator / JamesEarlJones

A noted American actor of stage and screen who was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is famous for his deep voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally [[BassoProfundo of bass register]], which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.)

HeAlsoDid some hilarious [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=7VV52m_wpgQ Sprint commercials]] with Creator/MalcolmMcDowell. Notable for making the first full-fledged [[SesameStreetCred celebrity cameo]] on ''Series/SesameStreet'', reciting the alphabet on the show's second episode in 1969.[[note]]Creator/CarolBurnett made a very brief appearance in the first episode[[/note]]

[[ScaryBlackMan U.S. Army Ranger]]. Played blue-eyed [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Thulsa Doom]]. He ''is'' {{God}}, [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Mufasa]], [[Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning Kibosh]], General [[TheDanza James]] [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun Solomon]], and (in a single "WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror" episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') Maggie Simpson. Also did commercials for Verizon (and its predecessor Bell Atlantic) for a while. Living proof that sometimes, all you really need to be a badass is the [[BadassBaritone perfect voice]].

!!Filmography:

* ''Film/GrimPrairieTales'' (1990) -- Morrison

* ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' (2000) -- Himself

* ''Film/{{Conan The Barbarian|1982}}'' (1982) -- Thulsa Doom

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/JamesEarlJones_9891.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[Film/ANewHope He finds your lack of faith disturbing.]]]]

[[ScaryBlackMan U.S. Army Ranger]]. Played blue-eyed [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Thulsa Doom]]. He ''is'' {{God}}, [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Mufasa]], [[Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning Kibosh]], General [[TheDanza James]] [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun Solomon]], and (in a single Treehouse of Horror episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') Maggie Simpson. Also did commercials for Verizon for a while (and its predecessor Bell Atlantic). Living proof that sometimes, all you really need to be a badass is the [[BadassBaritone perfect voice]].

A noted American actor of stage and screen who was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi) is famous for his deep voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally [[BassoProfundo of bass register]], which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.)

-> [[DescribeTropeHere James Earl Jones never told you how he described your father, TV Tropes.]]
-> He described enough! He described that you cut him!
-> No. I am your father.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia 2000}}'' (2000) -- Himself

[[caption-width-right:250:He finds your lack of faith disturbing.]]

** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|2019}}'' (2019) -- Jones is the only surviving actor from the original film to reprise his role a quarter of a century later for the [[TheRemake photorealistic CGI adaptation]].

A noted American actor of stage and screen who was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is famous for his deep voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally [[BassoProfundo of bass register]], which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.)

-->--'''James Earl Jones''', Creator/{{CNN}} [[StationIdent Station Identification]]

[[ScaryBlackMan U.S. Army Ranger]]. Played blue-eyed [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Thulsa Doom]]. He ''is'' {{God}}, [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], [[Disney/TheLionKing Mufasa]], [[Film/CasperASpiritedBeginning Kibosh]], General [[TheDanza James]] [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun Solomon]], and (in a single Treehouse of Horror episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') Maggie Simpson. Also did commercials for Verizon for a while (and its predecessor Bell Atlantic). Living proof that sometimes, all you really need to be a badass is the [[BadassBaritone perfect voice]].

** ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (1994)
** ''Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'' (1998)

* ''Disney/{{Fantasia 2000}}'' (2000) -- Himself

A noted American actor of stage and screen, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is famous for his deep voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally [[BassoProfundo of bass register]], which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.)

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' (2015 - present; pilot only)
** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|2019}}'' (2019) -- Jones is the only actor from the original film to be reprising his role a quarter of a century later for the [[TheRemake photorealistic CGI adaptation]].

HeAlsoDid some hilarious [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=7VV52m_wpgQ Sprint commercials]] with Creator/MalcolmMcDowell. Notable for making the very first [[SesameStreetCred celebrity cameo]] on ''Series/SesameStreet'', reciting the alphabet on the show's second episode in 1969.

HeAlsoDid some hilarious [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=7VV52m_wpgQ Sprint commercials]] with Creator/MalcolmMcDowell.

** ''Film/{{The Lion King|2019}}'' (2019) -- Jones is the only actor from the original film to be reprising his role a quarter of a century later for the [[TheRemake photorealistic CGI adaptation]].

A noted American actor of stage and screen, James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is famous for his deep voice that can either be [[EvilSoundsDeep sinister]] (e.g. Darth Vader and Kibosh) or paternal (Mufasa), but is regardless authoritative and commanding -- even more so when you consider he had to [[StutterStop overcome a severe stutter in his youth]]. His voice is also remarkable for being naturally [[BassoProfondo of bass register]], which is indeed very rare. He gets a fair amount ''more'' respect on the stage, where he played a number of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] roles (including being one of the first African American actors to play the lead in ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'') and was a fixture on the African-American art-theater circuit (he was the lead at the opening performance in several of August Wilson's ''Pittsburgh Cycle'', most famously ''Theatre/{{Fences}}''.)

* ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (1994) -- Mufasa
** ''Disney/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'' (1998) -- Mufasa
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' (2015 -) -- Mufasa (pilot only)
** ''[[Film/TheLionKing2019 The Lion King]]'' (2019) -- Mufasa (Jones is the only actor from the original film to be reprising his role a quarter of a century later for the LiveActionAdaptation)

* He and Creator/MalcolmMcDowell also did some [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] hilarious [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=7VV52m_wpgQ Sprint commercials]]