List of James Earl Jones performances

American actor James Earl Jones has had an extensive career in film, television, and theatre. He started out in film by appearing in the 1964 political satire film Dr. Strangelove as Lt. Lothar Zogg. He then went on to star in the 1970 film The Great White Hope as Jack Jefferson, a role he first played in the Broadwayproduction of the same name. The film role earned him two Golden Globe nominations, one for Best Actor and winning one for New Star of the Year. He also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.[1][2] In The Man(1972) Jones starred as a senator who by an unexpected confluence of events becomes the first African-American president of the United States. His other work in the 1970s included playing the title character in Malcolm X (1972), Johnny Williams in The River Niger (1976), Nick Debrett in Swashbuckler (1976), and Malcolm X again in The Greatest (1977).

Jones voiced the antagonist Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, first in the 1977 film Star Wars, then again in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and in Return of the Jedi (1983). During that time, Jones was also in the films The Bushido Blade (1981) with Richard Boone, and Conan the Barbarian (1982) with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the later part of the 1980s, Jones had co-starring roles in the films Soul Man (1986) with C. Thomas Howell, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987) with Richard Chamberlain, Matewan (1987) with Chris Cooper, Coming to America (1988) with Eddie Murphy and Field of Dreams(1989) with Kevin Costner. For his role in Matewan, Jones was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male but lost to Morgan Freeman. Jones was first cast as the role of Admiral James Greer in the 1990 action thriller film The Hunt for Red October, a film based on Tom Clancy's novel of the same name. He reprised the role again in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), both films he co-starred with Harrison Ford, who was also in the first three Star Wars franchise films. In between the two latter films, Jones played Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot (1993), a role he reprised again in The Sandlot 2 (2005); and voiced the character of Mufasa in the 1994 animated Disney film The Lion King, he voiced that character again in the sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998).

Although uncredited, Jones' voice is possibly heard as Vader at the conclusion of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). When specifically asked whether he had supplied the voice, possibly from a previous recording, Jones told Newsday: "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know."[3] He also had an uncredited role in the film Scary Movie 4 (2006),[4] before playing Papa Jenkins in the 2008 comedy film Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. His later roles include Gimme Shelter (2013) with Rosario Dawson, and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) with Robin Williams, one of Williams' last films before his death. In 2008 and 2011, Jones won the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Awardand Academy Honorary Award respectively for his career in film.[5][6]

Jones' television work includes playing Woodrow Paris in the series Parisbetween 1979 and 1980. He voiced various characters on the animated series The Simpsons in three separate seasons (1990, 1994, 1998). He then was cast as Gabriel Bird, the lead role in the series Gabriel's Fire which aired from 1990–1991. For that role, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and was nominated for his fourth Golden Globe Award, this time for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama.[1][7] He played Bird again in the series Pros and Cons with ran from 1991–1992, that earned him his fifth and final Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama.[1] He then had small appearances in the series Law & Order (1993), Picket Fences (1994), Mad About You (1997), Touched by an Angel (1997), Frasier (1997). His role in Picket Fences earned him another Primetime Emmy Award nomination, one for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[7] His later television work includes small roles in Everwood (2003–2004), Two and a Half Men (2008), House (2009), and The Big Bang Theory (2014).

Jones' theatre work includes numerous Broadway plays, including Sunrise at Campobello (1958–1959), Danton's Death (1965), The Iceman Cometh (1973–1974), Of Mice and Men (1974–1975), Othello (1982), On Golden Pond (2005), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008) and You Can't Take It with You (2014–2015). He was also in various off Broadway productions and Shakespeare stage adaptations such as The Merchant of Venice (1962), The Winter's Tale (1963), Othello (1964–1965), Coriolanus (1965), Hamlet (1972), and King Lear (1973). His roles in The Great White Hope (1969) and Fences (1987) earned him two Tony Awards, both for Best Leading Actor in a Play.[8]