Before becoming a force in projects like Roots: The Next Generation and Star Wars, James Earl Jones got his start on two CBS soaps.
This is news you never want to hear: The great James Earl Jones passed away at 93. The Oscar and Emmy-winning actor became as known for his voice as he was for his commanding presence. While he gained accolades for leading films like 1970’s The Great White Hope and voicing Darth Vader, one of the greatest villains of all time, it turns out his amazing career started out on soap operas.
Started Out on Soaps
James Earl Jones was a groundbreaking Black actor from day one when he replaced future fellow Star Wars icon Billy Dee Williams on the daytime serial Guiding Light. On the CBS soap, he starred as Dr. Jim Frazier, while the late great actress Ruby Dee played Jones’s wife.
The ex-military man joined soaps after he left the Army and after he studied acting at the American Theatre Wing. He also appeared on GL’s sister daytime drama, As the World Turns, where he played another medicine man, Dr. Jerry Turner.
His Legendary Career
He’s given the world memorable performances at every level of Hollywood, and for that, he’s one of the few entertainers who have achieved EGOT status. He has a Grammy Award, three Tonys, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. While he was nominated for an Oscar for his turn in 1970’s The Great White Hope, he received an honorary Oscar in 2011.
His presence and legacy are timeless, especially since he voiced Darth Vader for the Star Wars franchise. This includes credits for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. He embodied famed author Alex Haley in the Emmy-winning sequel Roots: The Next Generations that aired in the ’70s. And he made everybody laugh as King Jaffe Joffer in both Coming to America movies. His credits also included: Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, and Claudine.
But you can’t talk about Jones without talking about his deep, one-of-a-kind bass voice. Along with Darth Vader, he was Mufasa in 1994’s and 2019’s incarnations of The Lion King. For years, he was the voice of CNN, including saying the iconic words, “This is CNN.”
While Jones left the daytime universe in the late ’60s, he would make a comeback of sorts. In 2000, he won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Special for a project called Summer’s End.
According to Deadline, James Earl Jones died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.