James Earl Jones, Beloved Actor and Voice of Darth Vader, Dies (deadline.com) 49
James Earl Jones, the beloved actor best known for his roles in "Field of Dreams," "The Lion King," and "Star Wars," has died at the age of 93. Deadline reports: Widely regarded as among the world's great stage and screen actors Jones is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), though his Academy Award was Honorary. Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977 and three Tony Awards.
The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-'60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice role as the dastardly Darth Vader in George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars (1977) The Empire Strikes Back, 1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and TV's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: Rebels.
Movie fans will remember such chilling, immortal Vader quotes as "When I left you, I was but the learner -- now I am the master," "I find your lack of faith disturbing" and, of course, "No, I am your father."
The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-'60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice role as the dastardly Darth Vader in George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars (1977) The Empire Strikes Back, 1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and TV's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: Rebels.
Movie fans will remember such chilling, immortal Vader quotes as "When I left you, I was but the learner -- now I am the master," "I find your lack of faith disturbing" and, of course, "No, I am your father."
May the force be with him, always (Score:3)
May the force be with him, always
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No, Michael Richards is still alive.
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who is this cremier?!
Re:May the force be with him, always (Score:4, Funny)
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Will miss you legend (Score:5, Insightful)
He will be missed.
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Definitely. Kinda like Morgan Freeman. Such good narrators, and actors as well. The first movie I remember James from is Conan The Barbarian, and of course The Kind of Zumunda. But don't forget Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
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Definitely. Kinda like Morgan Freeman. Such good narrators, and actors as well. The first movie I remember James from is Conan The Barbarian, and of course The Kind of Zumunda. But don't forget Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
He brought depth to just about any role he played, especially authority figures in government (he played an NSA spook in Redford's Sneakers, and an Admiral in the first few Ryanverse films, and a hard-assed NCO in Gardens of Stone). If it wasn't for Darth Vader, he might well be remembered primarily for his Thulsa Doom role, though. He really brought flair to it. I'll miss him.
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Lieutenant Zogg
Re:Will miss you legend (Score:5, Interesting)
What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?
it's incredible and inspirational that he was able to overcome stuttering in his early years to end up wielding one of the most powerful voices in the industry.
He will be missed.
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"Tell your sister you were right." (Score:2)
(Vader's final words.)
Re: "Tell your sister you were right." (Score:2)
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Actually it was Sebastian Shaw.
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Tell 'im Dr. McCoy says (Score:1)
You're dead, Jim.
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wrong show, but i will allow it! :D
I want peace on Earth and goodwill toward men (Score:5, Funny)
We are the United States government. We don't do that sort of thing.
Gabriel's Fire (Score:2)
I have fond memories of his performance in Gabriel's Fire [wikipedia.org].
I remember his character trying to deal with a changed world after 20 years in prison. Very moving.
Re: So sad :( (Score:2)
Not to worry, soon his estate will license his voice for AI, and literally everything will be narrated by James Earl Jones.
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He already has licensed his voice to Disney for Vader purposes.
One of a kind (Score:1)
For other nations, various local voice actors were hired to re-dub Darth Vader in their language, and none of them captured the same intensity and power as Jones', at least to my ear. (Granted, I haven't heard all.)
Can't forget Conan (Score:1)
Always a welcome sight in a film (Score:3)
Truly an actor who is burned into my memory from a young age, I especially appreciate his memorable appearance at the end of Sneakers (which despite being from 1992 still might be the most accurate depiction of "hacking" in film) as well as Admiral Greer in Hunt for Red October and of course The Sandlot.
RIP to a class act.
He finally walked into the cornfield (Score:2)
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.
America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers.
It's been erased like a blackboard.
Rebuilt, and erased again.
But baseball has marked the time.
This field, this game.
It's a part of our past, Ray.
End of the Road (Score:2)
My fav James Earl Jones performance is actually psychiatrist charlatan "Doctor D" in "End of Road" (1970, with Stacy Keach). You won't see Jones like that again in other movies.
Memorable. (Score:4)
Ray, people will come, Ray.
They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.
"Of course, we won't mind if you look around," you'll say. "It's only twenty dollars per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it. For it is money they have and peace they lack.
FTFY (Score:2)
Movie fans will remember such chilling, immortal Vader quotes as [...] "No, I am your father."
Contrary to popular misconception, that was not the quote. What he actually said is, "Luke, I am your father".
Re:FTFY (Score:4, Informative)
Movie fans will remember such chilling, immortal Vader quotes as [...] "No, I am your father."
Contrary to popular misconception, that was not the quote. What he actually said is, "Luke, I am your father".
Nope, your version is the popular misconception, the summary has the actual quote [youtube.com].
Of course, Luke, I am your father is a better line. So if you want to quote that version go for it.
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Luke I am your father isn't a better line, it's just including Luke helps recognize the source.
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Luke I am your father isn't a better line, it's just including Luke helps recognize the source.
It's totally a better line.
With "No, I am your father" the No is trying to play up the shock, but I am your father is the source of the shock. And it doesn't really make sense anyway as a line anyway, like is Vader trying to have an argument in that moment?
But with "Luke, I am your father", the Luke serves to build intimacy. You don't call your enemy by their first name. The reason the twist is so famous is that Vader instantly goes from a faceless evil villain to a lost father suddenly trying to reestablis
Re: FTFY (Score:2)
From 'Conan the Barbarian' (Score:3)
My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son.
the voice over (Score:3)
But the James Earl Jones voice is not the natural voice of Darth Vader, isn't it generated by the speaker in his helmet?
However the words that I remember from him the most, have been spoken by many others since then:
This is CNN
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https://youtu.be/g5uZ3kGv2dw?s... [youtu.be]
We have lost... (Score:2)
Mother of God!
It's sad, really (Score:2)
So you're an accomplished actor and you're mostly remembered for the time they used just your voice...
Darth Vader reads the Bible (Score:1)
RIP, thanks for the great memories. (Score:2)
Impressive. Most impressive. (Score:1)