James Earl Jones - wikipedia James Earl Jones James Earl Jones Jones in 2013 ( 1931 - 01 - 17 ) January 17, 1931 ( age 86 ) Arkabutla, Mississippi, U.S. Nationality American Alma mater University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance Occupation Actor Years active 1953 -- present Spouse ( s ) Julienne Marie ( m. 1968 ; div. 1972 ) Cecilia Hart ( m. 1982 ; d. 2016 ) Children Parent ( s ) Robert Earl Jones Ruth Connolly James Earl Jones 's voice Recorded December 2009 from the BBC Radio 4 program Front Row James Earl Jones ( born January 17, 1931 ) is an American actor. His career has spanned more than 60 years, and he has been described as `` one of America 's most distinguished and versatile '' actors and `` one of the greatest actors in American history. '' Since his Broadway debut in 1957, Jones has won many awards, including a Tony Award and Golden Globe Award for his role in The Great White Hope. Jones has won three Emmy Awards, including two in the same year in 1991, and he also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in the film version of The Great White Hope. He is also known for his voice roles as Darth Vader in the Star Wars film series and Mufasa in Disney 's The Lion King, as well as many other film, stage and television roles. Jones has been said to possess `` one of the best - known voices in show business, a stirring basso profundo that has lent gravel and gravitas to '' his projects, including live - action acting, voice acting, and commercial voice - overs. As a child, Jones had a stutter. In his episode of Biography, he said he overcame the affliction through poetry, public speaking, and acting, although it lasted for several years. A pre-med major in college, he went on to serve in the United States Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. On November 12, 2011, he received an Honorary Academy Award. On November 9, 2015, Jones received the Voice Arts Icon Award. On May 25, 2017, he received an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Harvard University and concluded the event 's benediction with `` May the Force be with you ''. Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Childhood 1.2 Education 1.3 Military 2 Film and stage career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Stage roles 2.3 Film roles 2.4 Voice roles 2.5 Television roles 3 List of performances 4 Personal life 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links Early life Childhood Jones ' father, Robert Earl Jones, circa 1938. James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi on January 17, 1931, to Ruth ( Connolly ) Jones, a teacher and maid, and Robert Earl Jones ( 1910 -- 2006 ), an actor, boxer, butler, and chauffeur who left the family shortly after James Earl 's birth. Jones and his father reconciled many years later. His parents were African - American, and Jones has learned they also had Irish and Native American ancestry. From the age of five, Jones was raised by his maternal grandparents, John Henry and Maggie Connolly, who had moved from Mississippi and had a farm in Jackson, Michigan. Jones has described his grandmother, Maggie, as `` the most racist person I have ever known '' ; he had to develop his own independent thinking. His grandmother was of African - American, Cherokee and Choctaw ancestry. Jones found the transition to his grandparents in Michigan traumatic, and the boy developed a stutter so severe he refused to speak. When his family moved to Brethren, Michigan, a teacher helped him overcome his stutter. He remained functionally mute for eight years until he entered high school. He credits his English teacher, Donald Crouch, who discovered he had a gift for writing poetry, with helping him end his silence. Crouch urged him to challenge his reluctance to speak. `` I was a stutterer. I could n't talk. So my first year of school was my first mute year, and then those mute years continued until I got to high school. '' Education After being educated at the Browning School for boys in his high school years and graduating as vice president of his class from Dickson Rural Agricultural School ( now Brethren High School ) in Brethren, Michigan, Jones attended the University of Michigan where he was initially a pre-med major. He joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps and excelled. He felt comfortable within the structure of the military environment and enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow cadets in the Pershing Rifles Drill Team and Scabbard and Blade Honor Society. During the course of his studies, Jones discovered he was not cut out to be a doctor. Instead, he focused on drama at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance with the thought of doing something he enjoyed, before, he assumed, he would have to go off to fight in the Korean War. After four years of college, Jones graduated from the university in 1955. Military With the war intensifying in Korea, Jones expected to be deployed as soon as he received his commission as a second lieutenant. As he waited for his orders, he worked as a part - time stage crew hand at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan, where he had earlier performed. Jones was commissioned in mid-1953 and reported to Fort Benning to attend Infantry Officers Basic Course. He then attended Ranger School and received his Ranger Tab ( although he stated during an interview on the BBC 's The One Show, screened on November 11, 2009, that he `` washed out '' of Ranger training ). He was initially to report to Fort Leonard Wood, but his unit was instead sent to establish a cold weather training command at the former Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. His battalion became a training unit in the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. Jones was promoted to first lieutenant prior to his discharge. He then moved to New York, where he studied at the American Theatre Wing, working as a janitor to support himself. Film and stage career External audio James Earl Jones talks with Studs Terkel on WFMT ; 1968 / 02, 49 : 25, Studs Terkel Radio Archive Early career Jones began his acting career at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan. In 1953, he was a stage carpenter. During the 1955 -- 57 seasons, he was an actor and stage manager. He performed his first portrayal of Shakespeare 's Othello in this theater in 1955. His early career also included an appearance in the ABC radio anthology series Theatre - Five. Stage roles Othello Play media Jones performs Othello 's Act I, scene III monologue from Shakespeare 's Othello at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word on May 12, 2009. `` Othello '' Audio only Problems playing these files ? See media help. Jones is an accomplished stage actor ; he has won Tony awards in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences. He has acted in many Shakespearean roles : Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night 's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet. Jones played Lennie on Broadway in the 1974 Brooks Atkinson Theatre production of the adaptation of John Steinbeck 's novella, Of Mice and Men, with Kevin Conway as George and Pamela Blair as Curley 's Wife. Jones received Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. On April 7, 2005, James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams headed the cast in an African - American Broadway revival version of On Golden Pond, directed by Leonard Foglia and produced by Jeffrey Finn. In February 2008, he starred on Broadway as Big Daddy in a limited - run, all - African - American production of Tennessee Williams 's Pulitzer Prize - winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and mounted at the Broadhurst Theatre. In November 2009, James reprised the role of Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre in London 's West End. This production also stars Sanaa Lathan as Maggie, Phylicia Rashad as Big Mamma, and Adrian Lester as Brick. In October 2010, Jones returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry 's Driving Miss Daisy along with Vanessa Redgrave at the Golden Theatre. In November 2011, Jones starred in Driving Miss Daisy in London 's West End, and on November 12 received his honorary Oscar in front of the audience at the Wyndham 's Theatre, which was presented to him by Ben Kingsley. In March 2012, Jones played the role of President Art Hockstader in Gore Vidal 's The Best Man on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre. Earning Jones a Tony nomination for Best Performance in a Lead Role in a Play. The play also starred Angela Lansbury, John Larroquette ( as candidate William Russell ), Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack ( as candidate Senator Joseph Cantwell ), Jefferson Mays, Michael McKean, and Kerry Butler, with direction by Michael Wilson. In 2013, Jones starred opposite Vanessa Redgrave in a production of Much Ado About Nothing directed by Mark Rylance at The Old Vic, London. In 2014, Jones played the role of Grandpa in the comedy You Ca n't Take it With You at the Longacre Theatre, Broadway. On September 23, 2015, Jones opened in a new revival of The Gin Game opposite Cicely Tyson, in the same venue where the play originally premiered ( with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy ) : the John Golden Theater. The play will have a limited run of 16 weeks. Film roles His first film role was as a young and trim Lt. Lothar Zogg, the B - 52 bombardier in Dr. Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in 1964. In 1967, Jones portrayed a surgeon and Haitian rebel leader in The Comedians. His first starring film role came with his portrayal of boxer Jack Jefferson in 1970 's The Great White Hope. For his role, Jones was nominated Best Actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, making him the second African - American male performer ( following Sidney Poitier ) to receive a nomination. In 1974, Jones co-starred with Diahann Carroll in the film Claudine, the story of a woman who raises her six children alone after two failed and two `` almost '' marriages. Jones also played the villain Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian, `` Few Clothes '' Johnson in John Sayles ' Matewan, the author Terence Mann in Field of Dreams, the feared neighbor Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot, King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America, Reverend Stephen Kumalo in Cry, the Beloved Country, Raymond Lee Murdock in A Family Thing, and Vice Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, among many other roles. Voice roles Jones is also known as the voice of Darth Vader in the 1977 film Star Wars : A New Hope and its sequels The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ). Darth Vader was portrayed in costume by David Prowse in the film trilogy, with Jones dubbing Vader 's dialogue in postproduction because Prowse 's strong West Country accent was deemed unsuitable for the role by George Lucas. At his own request, Jones was uncredited for the original releases of the first two Star Wars films, though he later would be credited for the first film in its 1997 `` Special Edition '' re-release. As he explained in a 2008 interview : When Linda Blair did the girl in The Exorcist, they hired Mercedes McCambridge to do the voice of the devil coming out of her. And there was controversy as to whether Mercedes should get credit. I was one who thought no, she was just special effects. So when it came to Darth Vader, I said, no, I 'm just special effects. But it became so identified that by the third one, I thought, OK I 'll let them put my name on it. 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 do n't know. '' Jones reprised his voice role of Vader for the character 's appearances in the animated TV series Star Wars Rebels, and the live - action film Rogue One : A Star Wars Story ( 2016 ). His other voice roles include Mufasa in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King and its direct - to - video sequel, The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride. Archive recordings from the film would later be used for the English version of the 2006 video game Kingdom Hearts II since Jones himself did not reprise the role. He more recently voiced Mufasa in the 2015 TV pilot movie The Lion Guard : Return of the Roar. In February 2017, it was announced that Jones would again voice the character in the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which will be directed by Jon Favreau. In 1990, Jones performed voice work for The Simpsons first `` Treehouse of Horror '' Halloween special, in which he was the narrator for the Simpsons ' version of Edgar Allan Poe 's poem `` The Raven ''. In 1992, Jones was often seen as the host on the video monitor at SeaWorld Orlando, in Florida, US. He also voiced the Emperor of the Night in Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night and Ommadon in Flight of Dragons. In 1996, he recited the classic baseball poem `` Casey at the Bat '' with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and in 2007 before a Philadelphia Phillies home game on June 1, 2007. He also has done the CNN tagline, `` This is CNN '', as well as `` This is CNN International '', and the opening for CNN 's morning show New Day. Jones was also a longtime spokesman for Bell Atlantic and later Verizon. He also lent his voice to the opening for NBC 's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics ; `` the Big PI in the Sky '' ( God ) in the computer game Under a Killing Moon ; a Claymation film, The Creation ; and several other guest spots on The Simpsons. Jones also lent his voice for a narrative part in the Adam Sandler comedy Click, released in June 2006. Jones narrated all 27 books of the New Testament in the audiobook James Earl Jones Reads the Bible. Television roles Jones has the distinction of being the only actor to win two Emmys in the same year, in 1991 as Best Actor for his role in Gabriel 's Fire and as Best Supporting Actor for his work in Heat Wave. Jones portrayed the older version of author Alex Haley, in the television mini-series Roots : The Next Generations ; the GDI 's commanding general James Solomon in the live - action sequences of the video game Command & Conquer : Tiberian Sun ; and widowed police officer Neb Langston in the television program Under One Roof, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He also appeared in television and radio advertising for Verizon Business DSL and Verizon Online DSL from Verizon Communications. Jones appeared in the 1963 -- 64 television season in an episode of ABC 's drama series about college life, Channing, starring Jason Evers and Henry Jones. He appeared on the soap opera Guiding Light. He portrayed Thad Green on `` Mathnet, '' a parody of Dragnet that appeared in the PBS program Square One Television. In 1969, Jones participated in making test films for the children 's education series Sesame Street ; these shorts, combined with animated segments, were shown to groups of children to gauge the effectiveness of the then - groundbreaking Sesame Street format. As cited by production notes included in the DVD release Sesame Street : Old School 1969 -- 1974, the short that had the greatest impact with test audiences was one showing bald - headed Jones counting slowly to ten. This and other segments featuring Jones were eventually aired as part of the Sesame Street series itself when it debuted later in 1969 and Jones is often cited as the first celebrity guest on that series, although a segment with Carol Burnett was the first to actually be broadcast. He has played lead characters on television in three series. First, he appeared on the short - lived CBS police drama Paris, which aired during autumn 1979. That show was notable as the first program on which Steven Bochco served as executive producer. The second show aired on ABC between 1990 and 1992, the first season being titled Gabriel 's Fire and the second ( after a format revision ) Pros and Cons. In both formats of that show, Jones played a former policeman wrongly convicted of murder who, upon his release from prison, became a private eye. In 1995, Jones starred in Under One Roof as Neb Langston, a widowed African - American police officer sharing his home in Seattle with his daughter, his married son with his children, and Neb 's newly adopted son. The show was a mid-season replacement and lasted only six weeks. From 1989 to 1993, Jones served as the host of the children 's TV series Long Ago and Far Away. In 1996, James guest starred in the CBS drama Touched by an Angel as the Angels of Angels in the episode `` Clipped Wings ''. In 1998, Jones starred in the widely acclaimed syndicated program An American Moment ( created by James R. Kirk and Ninth Wave Productions ). Jones took over the role left by Charles Kuralt, upon Kuralt 's death. He also made a cameo appearance in a penultimate episode of Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman and has guest - starred on such sitcoms as NBC 's Frasier and Will & Grace, CBS 's Two and a Half Men, and the WB drama Everwood. In 2009, Jones guest starred in the Fox medical drama House, M.D., in season 6, episode 4, entitled `` The Tyrant '', as a brutal African dictator named Dibala who has fallen ill. The dictator had made threats of ethnic cleansing against an ethnic minority, the Sitibi, and the team deals with ethical issues of treating a potential mass murderer. In 2013 - 14, he appeared alongside Malcolm McDowell in a series of commercials for Sprint in which the two recited mundane phone and text - message conversations in a dramatic way. Jones appeared as himself on the season 7 episode of The Big Bang Theory entitled `` The Convention Conundrum ''. List of performances See also : List of James Earl Jones performances Personal life Jones married American actress / singer Julienne Marie in 1968, whom he met while performing as Othello in 1964. They had no children, and divorced in 1972. In 1982, he married actress Cecilia Hart, with whom he had one child, son Flynn Earl Jones. Hart died on October 16, 2016, after a one - year battle with ovarian cancer. In April 2016, Jones spoke publicly for the first time in nearly 20 years about his long - term health challenge with type 2 diabetes. He has been dealing with diabetes since the mid 1990s. Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Result 1963 East Side / West Side Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Nominated 1969 The Great White Hope Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play Won 1970 The Great White Hope Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year -- Actor Won 1970 The Great White Hope Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated 1970 The Great White Hope Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama Nominated Claudine Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated Matewan Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Nominated Fences Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play Won 1990 By Dawn 's Early Light Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated 1990 Heat Wave Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Won 1990 Gabriel 's Fire Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Won 1990 Gabriel 's Fire Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama Nominated 1991 Pros and Cons Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama Nominated Picket Fences Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Nominated 1995 Under One Roof Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated 1995 Cry, the Beloved Country Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated Frasier Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated 1999 Summer 's End Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children 's Special Won 2003 Everwood Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Nominated 2005 On Golden Pond Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play Nominated 2008 N / A Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award Won 2011 N / A Academy Honorary Award Won 2012 The Best Man Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play Nominated Other awards 1985 Induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame 1987 First recipient of the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action 's Annie Glenn Award 1991 Common Wealth Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Dramatic Arts 1992 National Medal of Arts 1996 Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars 2011 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Monte Cristo Award Recipient 2012 Marian Anderson Award Recipient 2017 Honorary Doctor of Arts from Harvard University References Jump up ^ `` Black Celebrities with White Partners ''. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2015. Jump up ^ Cecilia Hart, wife of James Earl Jones, has died ( LA Times ) Jump up ^ `` Cecilia Hart, Actress and Wife of James Earl Jones, Dies at 68 ''. ^ Jump up to : Marx, Rebecca Flint. `` James Earl Jones Biography ''. All Movie Guide. Retrieved April 12, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Sperling, Nicole ; Susan King ( November 12, 2011 ). `` Oprah shines, Ratner controversy fades at honorary Oscars gala ''. LA Times.com. Retrieved November 14, 2011. Jump up ^ Hornaday, Ann ( September 25, 2014 ). `` James Earl Jones : A voice for the ages, aging gracefully '' -- via washingtonpost.com. Jump up ^ Moore, Caitlin ( September 25, 2014 ). `` James Earl Jones might have the most recognizable voice in film and television '' -- via washingtonpost.com. Jump up ^ `` Voice Arts Awards ''. sovas. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Harvard awards 10 honorary degrees ''. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 26. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones Biography ( 1931 -- ) ''. FilmReference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones Biography ( 1931 -- ) ''. Film Reference. Retrieved February 20, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Bandler, Michael J. ( March 2008 ). `` This is James Earl Jones ''. NWA World Traveler. Northwest Airlines. Retrieved April 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Levesque, Carl ( August 1, 2002 ). `` Unconventional wisdom : James Earl Jones speaks out ''. Association Management. The Gale Group. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008. Jump up ^ Davis, Dorothy ( February 2005 ). `` Speaking with James Earl Jones ''. Education Update. Retrieved February 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones -- Academy of Achievement ''. A Museum of Living History. Academy of Achievement. Retrieved April 3, 2008. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones on his ' racist grandmother ' '', interview with Stephen Sackur, BBC News, December 7, 2011. Jump up ^ Andrew Davies - Cole. `` The daddy of them all ''. Herald Scotland. Retrieved November 5, 2011. Jump up ^ ( Audio / Transcript ). Interview : James Earl Jones, with the American Academy of Achievement for the National Medal of Arts. June 29, 1996. Sun Valley, Idaho. Jump up ^ Ensian ( Yearbook of the University of Michigan ), p. 156 ( 1952 ). Jump up ^ `` Notable Alumni ''. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Soldiers to Celebrities : James Earl Jones -- U.S. Army ''. Hollywood Hired Guns. Hired Guns Productions. January 20, 2008. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones talks with Studs Terkel on WFMT ; 1968 / 02 ''. Studs Terkel Radio Archive. February 1968. Retrieved September 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ramsdell Theatre History ''. Ramsdell-theater.org. Retrieved March 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Theater Five - Single Episodes ''. Internet Archive. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave to Star in Broadway 's Driving Miss Daisy ''. Playbill. Retrieved March 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Actor James Earl Jones receives Oscar in London '', BBC News. Retrieved November 13, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Gore Vidal 's The Best Man '' at IBDB. Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew and Jones, Kenneth. '' ' The Best Man ', Tony Nominee as Best Revival of a Play, Extends Booking a Second Time '' Playbill.com, May 17, 2012. Jump up ^ Trueman, Matt ( December 4, 2012 ). `` Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones to reunite for Old Vic 's Much Ado ''. The Guardian. London. Jump up ^ `` The Gin Game at John Golden Theater ''. New York City Theater. Jump up ^ `` The Green force ''. BBC News. February 14, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Lovece, Frank ( March 12, 2008 ). `` Fast Chat : James Earl Jones ''. Newsday. New York. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2011. Jump up ^ Sragow, Michael ( February 6, 1997 ). `` Is n't That Spacial ? Back to the future with ' Star Wars : The Special Edition ' ''. Phoenix New Times. Phoenix, Arizona. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones to Voice Darth Vader in Star Wars : Rebels ' Premiere on ABC ! '' Star Wars Episode VII News, October 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones confirmed as Darth Vader '' Blastr, April 21, 2015. Jump up ^ Skrebels, Joe ( June 23, 2016 ). `` Rogue One 's Darth Vader Will Be Played by James Earl Jones and `` A Variety of Large - Framed Performers '' ``. Jump up ^ `` Mufasa ( and James Earl Jones ) returns in exclusive The Lion Guard clip ''. Jump up ^ Couch, Aaron ( February 17, 2017 ). `` ' Lion King ' Remake Casts Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa ''. Hollywood Reporter. Jump up ^ Drayer, Shannon ( June 3, 2013 ). `` Audio treasure : Dave Niehaus reads ' Casey at the Bat ' ''. KTTH / 710 ESPN Seattle. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2015. James Earl Jones more than did the piece justice in a recording with the Cincinnati Pops in 1996... Jump up ^ `` Actor James Earl Jones smiles before reading... ''. Townhall.com. Reuters. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones Reads The New Testament - Digital Edition ''. Jump up ^ James Earl Jones -- Awards & Nominations, Television Academy. Jump up ^ Tim Nudd, `` Inside James Earl Jones and Malcolm McDowell 's Dramatic Readings for Sprint '', AdWeek, December 16, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sprint Commercial ( 2013 - 2014 ) ''. popisms.com. Jump up ^ `` As He Readies For His Latest Broadway Return, We Celebrate Over 50 Years of James Earl Jones Onstage - Playbill ''. Jump up ^ Jones, James Earl. Encyclopedia of African American History : 5 - Volume Set. Oxford University Press. pp. 53 -- 54. ISBN 9780195167795. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones : I 'll just keep going until I fall over ''. Metro News. Retrieved March 12, 2014. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones Biography : Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor ( 1931 -- ) ''. Biography.com ( FYI / A&E Networks ). Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Barnes, Mike ( October 22, 2016 ). `` Cecilia Hart, Actress and Wife of James Earl Jones, Dies at 68 ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Learn more about James Earl Jones and INVOKANA ® ''. 2016 - 02 - 17. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` James Earl Jones -- Nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play ''. Broadway.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Broadway 's Best ''. New York Times. March 5, 1985. Retrieved February 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Theater Hall of Fame members ''. Retrieved February 6, 2014. Jump up ^ John and Annie Glenn Museum : About : `` Annie Glenn '' ( 1 ) John and Annie Glenn Museum : About : `` Annie Glenn '' Jump up ^ Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated Jump up ^ Adam Hetrick, `` James Earl Jones Receives O'Neill Center 's Monte Cristo Award May 9 '', Playbill, May 9, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011. Jump up ^ Carrie Rickey, `` Actor James Earl Jones wins Marian Anderson Award '', Philly.com, June 5, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Earl Jones to Receive Philadelphia 's 2012 Marian Anderson Award '', Broadway World, June 5, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Harvard awards 10 honorary degrees at 366th Commencement '', Harvard Gazette, May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017. Further reading Anne Hornaday, `` James Earl Jones : A Voice for the Ages, Aging Gracefully, '' Washington Post, Sept. 27, 2014. Jones, James Earl, and Penelope Niven. James Earl Jones : Voices and Silences ( New York : Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1993 ) ISBN 0 - 684 - 19513 - 5 Lifetime Honors -- National Medal of Arts External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Earl Jones. James Earl Jones on IMDb James Earl Jones at the Internet Broadway Database James Earl Jones at the Internet Off - Broadway Database James Earl Jones at the TCM Movie Database James Earl Jones at AllMovie James Earl Jones at Emmys.com TonyAwards.com Interview with James Earl Jones Cat on a Hot Tin Roof All African - American Production Website Awards for James Earl Jones Academy Honorary Award 1928 -- 1950 Warner Bros. / Charlie Chaplin ( 1928 ) Walt Disney ( 1932 ) Shirley Temple ( 1934 ) D.W. Griffith ( 1935 ) The March of Time / W. Howard Greene and Harold Rosson ( 1936 ) Edgar Bergen / W. Howard Greene / Museum of Modern Art Film Library / Mack Sennett ( 1937 ) J. Arthur Ball / Walt Disney / Deanna Durbin and Mickey Rooney / Gordon Jennings, Jan Domela, Devereaux Jennings, Irmin Roberts, Art Smith, Farciot Edouart, Loyal Griggs, Loren L. Ryder, Harry D. Mills, Louis Mesenkop, Walter Oberst / Oliver T. Marsh and Allen Davey / Harry Warner ( 1938 ) Douglas Fairbanks / Judy Garland / William Cameron Menzies / Motion Picture Relief Fund ( Jean Hersholt, Ralph Morgan, Ralph Block, Conrad Nagel ) / Technicolor Company ( 1939 ) Bob Hope / Nathan Levinson ( 1940 ) Walt Disney, William Garity, John N.A. Hawkins, and the RCA Manufacturing Company / Leopold Stokowski and his associates / Rey Scott / British Ministry of Information ( 1941 ) Charles Boyer / Noël Coward / Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer ( 1942 ) George Pal ( 1943 ) Bob Hope / Margaret O'Brien ( 1944 ) Republic Studio, Daniel J. Bloomberg, and the Republic Studio Sound Department / Walter Wanger / The House I Live In / Peggy Ann Garner ( 1945 ) Harold Russell / Laurence Olivier / Ernst Lubitsch / Claude Jarman Jr. ( 1946 ) James Baskett / Thomas Armat, William Nicholas Selig, Albert E. Smith, and George Kirke Spoor / Bill and Coo / Shoeshine ( 1947 ) Walter Wanger / Monsieur Vincent / Sid Grauman / Adolph Zukor ( 1948 ) Jean Hersholt / Fred Astaire / Cecil B. DeMille / The Bicycle Thief ( 1949 ) Louis B. Mayer / George Murphy / The Walls of Malapaga ( 1950 ) 1951 -- 1975 Gene Kelly / Rashomon ( 1951 ) Merian C. Cooper / Bob Hope / Harold Lloyd / George Mitchell / Joseph M. Schenck / Forbidden Games ( 1952 ) 20th Century - Fox Film Corporation / Bell & Howell Company / Joseph Breen / Pete Smith ( 1953 ) Bausch & Lomb Optical Company / Danny Kaye / Kemp Niver / Greta Garbo / Jon Whiteley / Vincent Winter / Gate of Hell ( 1954 ) Samurai I : Musashi Miyamoto ( 1955 ) Eddie Cantor ( 1956 ) Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers / Gilbert M. `` Broncho Billy '' Anderson / Charles Brackett / B.B. Kahane ( 1957 ) Maurice Chevalier ( 1958 ) Buster Keaton / Lee de Forest ( 1959 ) Gary Cooper / Stan Laurel / Hayley Mills ( 1960 ) William L. Hendricks / Fred L. Metzler / Jerome Robbins ( 1961 ) William J. Tuttle ( 1964 ) Bob Hope ( 1965 ) Yakima Canutt / Y. Frank Freeman ( 1966 ) Arthur Freed ( 1967 ) John Chambers / Onna White ( 1968 ) Cary Grant ( 1969 ) Lillian Gish / Orson Welles ( 1970 ) Charlie Chaplin ( 1971 ) Charles S. Boren / Edward G. Robinson ( 1972 ) Henri Langlois / Groucho Marx ( 1973 ) Howard Hawks / Jean Renoir ( 1974 ) Mary Pickford ( 1975 ) 1976 -- 2000 Margaret Booth ( 1977 ) Walter Lantz / Laurence Olivier / King Vidor / Museum of Modern Art Department of Film ( 1978 ) Hal Elias / Alec Guinness ( 1979 ) Henry Fonda ( 1980 ) Barbara Stanwyck ( 1981 ) Mickey Rooney ( 1982 ) Hal Roach ( 1983 ) James Stewart / National Endowment for the Arts ( 1984 ) Paul Newman / Alex North ( 1985 ) Ralph Bellamy ( 1986 ) Eastman Kodak Company / National Film Board of Canada ( 1988 ) Akira Kurosawa ( 1989 ) Sophia Loren / Myrna Loy ( 1990 ) Satyajit Ray ( 1991 ) Federico Fellini ( 1992 ) Deborah Kerr ( 1993 ) Michelangelo Antonioni ( 1994 ) Kirk Douglas / Chuck Jones ( 1995 ) Michael Kidd ( 1996 ) Stanley Donen ( 1997 ) Elia Kazan ( 1998 ) Andrzej Wajda ( 1999 ) Jack Cardiff / Ernest Lehman ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Sidney Poitier / Robert Redford ( 2001 ) Peter O'Toole ( 2002 ) Blake Edwards ( 2003 ) Sidney Lumet ( 2004 ) Robert Altman ( 2005 ) Ennio Morricone ( 2006 ) Robert F. Boyle ( 2007 ) Lauren Bacall / Roger Corman / Gordon Willis ( 2009 ) Kevin Brownlow / Jean - Luc Godard / Eli Wallach ( 2010 ) James Earl Jones / Dick Smith ( 2011 ) D.A. Pennebaker / Hal Needham / George Stevens Jr. ( 2012 ) Angela Lansbury / Steve Martin / Piero Tosi ( 2013 ) Jean - Claude Carrière / Hayao Miyazaki / Maureen O'Hara ( 2014 ) Spike Lee / Gena Rowlands ( 2015 ) Jackie Chan / Lynn Stalmaster / Anne V. Coates / Frederick Wiseman ( 2016 ) Charles Burnett / Owen Roizman / Donald Sutherland / Agnès Varda ( 2017 ) Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play Anthony Hopkins ( 1975 ) John Wood ( 1976 ) Al Pacino ( 1977 ) Barnard Hughes ( 1978 ) Philip Anglim ( 1979 ) John Rubinstein ( 1980 ) Ian McKellen ( 1981 ) Christopher Plummer ( 1982 ) Harvey Fierstein ( 1983 ) Dustin Hoffman ( 1984 ) John Lithgow ( 1985 ) Ed Harris ( 1986 ) James Earl Jones ( 1987 ) Ron Silver ( 1988 ) Philip Bosco ( 1989 ) Nathan Lane ( 1990 ) Ron Rifkin ( 1991 ) Brian Bedford ( 1992 ) Ron Leibman ( 1993 ) Brian Bedford ( 1994 ) Ralph Fiennes ( 1995 ) Frank Langella ( 1996 ) David Morse / Christopher Plummer ( 1997 ) Anthony LaPaglia ( 1998 ) Brian Dennehy ( 1999 ) Stephen Dillane ( 2000 ) Richard Easton ( 2001 ) Alan Bates ( 2002 ) Eddie Izzard ( 2003 ) Kevin Kline ( 2004 ) Brían F. O'Byrne ( 2005 ) Richard Griffiths ( 2006 ) Frank Langella ( 2007 ) Mark Rylance ( 2008 ) Geoffrey Rush ( 2009 ) Liev Schreiber ( 2010 ) Bobby Cannavale ( 2011 ) James Corden ( 2012 ) Tracy Letts ( 2013 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2014 ) Alex Sharp ( 2015 ) Frank Langella ( 2016 ) Kevin Kline ( 2017 ) Drama League 's Distinguished Performance Award Katharine Cornell ( 1935 ) Helen Hayes ( 1936 ) Maurice Evans ( 1937 ) Cedric Hardwicke ( 1938 ) Raymond Massey ( 1939 ) Paul Muni ( 1940 ) Paul Lukas ( 1941 ) Judith Evelyn ( 1942 ) Alfred Lunt ( 1943 ) Lynn Fontanne ( 1944 ) Mady Christians ( 1945 ) Louis Calhern ( 1946 ) Ingrid Bergman ( 1947 ) Judith Anderson ( 1948 ) Robert Morley ( 1949 ) Grace George ( 1950 ) Claude Rains ( 1951 ) Julie Harris ( 1952 ) Shirley Booth ( 1953 ) Josephine Hull ( 1954 ) Viveca Lindfors ( 1955 ) David Wayne ( 1956 ) Eli Wallach ( 1957 ) Ralph Bellamy ( 1958 ) Cyril Ritchard ( 1959 ) Jessica Tandy ( 1960 ) Hume Cronyn ( 1961 ) Paul Scofield ( 1962 ) Charles Boyer ( 1963 ) Alec Guinness ( 1964 ) John Gielgud ( 1965 ) Richard Kiley ( 1966 ) Rosemary Harris ( 1967 ) Zoe Caldwell ( 1968 ) Alec McCowen ( 1969 ) James Stewart ( 1970 ) Anthony Quayle ( 1971 ) Eileen Atkins / Claire Bloom ( 1972 ) Alan Bates ( 1973 ) Christopher Plummer ( 1974 ) John Wood ( 1975 ) Eva Le Gallienne ( 1976 ) Tom Courtenay ( 1977 ) Frank Langella ( 1978 ) Frances Sternhagen ( 1979 ) Roy Scheider ( 1980 ) Ian McKellen ( 1981 ) Milo O'Shea ( 1982 ) Edward Herrmann / Kate Nelligan ( 1983 ) Jeremy Irons ( 1984 ) Derek Jacobi ( 1985 ) Bernadette Peters ( 1986 ) James Earl Jones ( 1987 ) John Lithgow ( 1988 ) Pauline Collins ( 1989 ) Robert Morse ( 1990 ) Stockard Channing ( 1991 ) Glenn Close ( 1992 ) Stephen Rea ( 1993 ) Sam Waterston ( 1994 ) Cherry Jones ( 1995 ) Uta Hagen ( 1996 ) Charles Durning / Bebe Neuwirth ( 1997 ) Brian Stokes Mitchell ( 1998 ) Kathleen Chalfant ( 1999 ) Eileen Heckart ( 2000 ) Mary - Louise Parker / Gary Sinise ( 2001 ) Liam Neeson ( 2002 ) Harvey Fierstein ( 2003 ) Hugh Jackman ( 2004 ) Norbert Leo Butz ( 2005 ) Christine Ebersole ( 2006 ) Liev Schreiber ( 2007 ) Patti LuPone ( 2008 ) Geoffrey Rush ( 2009 ) Alfred Molina ( 2010 ) Mark Rylance ( 2011 ) Audra McDonald ( 2012 ) Nathan Lane ( 2013 ) Neil Patrick Harris ( 2014 ) Chita Rivera ( 2015 ) Lin - Manuel Miranda ( 2016 ) Ben Platt ( 2017 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Robert Young ( 1956 ) Robert Young ( 1957 ) Raymond Burr ( 1959 ) Robert Stack ( 1960 ) Raymond Burr ( 1961 ) E.G. Marshall ( 1962 ) E.G. Marshall ( 1963 ) Bill Cosby ( 1966 ) Bill Cosby ( 1967 ) Bill Cosby ( 1968 ) Carl Betz ( 1969 ) Robert Young ( 1970 ) Hal Holbrook ( 1971 ) Peter Falk ( 1972 ) Richard Thomas ( 1973 ) Telly Savalas ( 1974 ) Robert Blake ( 1975 ) Peter Falk ( 1976 ) James Garner ( 1977 ) Ed Asner ( 1978 ) Ron Leibman ( 1979 ) Ed Asner ( 1980 ) Daniel J. Travanti ( 1981 ) Daniel J. Travanti ( 1982 ) Ed Flanders ( 1983 ) Tom Selleck ( 1984 ) William Daniels ( 1985 ) William Daniels ( 1986 ) Bruce Willis ( 1987 ) Richard Kiley ( 1988 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1989 ) Peter Falk ( 1990 ) James Earl Jones ( 1991 ) Christopher Lloyd ( 1992 ) Tom Skerritt ( 1993 ) Dennis Franz ( 1994 ) Mandy Patinkin ( 1995 ) Dennis Franz ( 1996 ) Dennis Franz ( 1997 ) Andre Braugher ( 1998 ) Dennis Franz ( 1999 ) James Gandolfini ( 2000 ) James Gandolfini ( 2001 ) Michael Chiklis ( 2002 ) James Gandolfini ( 2003 ) James Spader ( 2004 ) James Spader ( 2005 ) Kiefer Sutherland ( 2006 ) James Spader ( 2007 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2008 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2009 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2010 ) Kyle Chandler ( 2011 ) Damian Lewis ( 2012 ) Jeff Daniels ( 2013 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2014 ) Jon Hamm ( 2015 ) Rami Malek ( 2016 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Anthony Quayle ( 1975 ) Ed Flanders ( 1976 ) Burgess Meredith ( 1977 ) Howard Da Silva ( 1978 ) Marlon Brando ( 1979 ) George Grizzard ( 1980 ) David Warner ( 1981 ) Laurence Olivier ( 1982 ) Richard Kiley ( 1983 ) Art Carney ( 1984 ) Karl Malden ( 1985 ) John Malkovich ( 1986 ) Dabney Coleman ( 1987 ) John Shea ( 1988 ) Derek Jacobi ( 1989 ) Vincent Gardenia ( 1990 ) James Earl Jones ( 1991 ) Hume Cronyn ( 1992 ) Beau Bridges ( 1993 ) Michael A. Goorjian ( 1994 ) Donald Sutherland ( 1995 ) Tom Hulce ( 1996 ) Beau Bridges ( 1997 ) George C. Scott ( 1998 ) Peter O'Toole ( 1999 ) Hank Azaria ( 2000 ) Brian Cox ( 2001 ) Michael Moriarty ( 2002 ) Ben Gazzara ( 2003 ) Jeffrey Wright ( 2004 ) Paul Newman ( 2005 ) Jeremy Irons ( 2006 ) Thomas Haden Church ( 2007 ) Tom Wilkinson ( 2008 ) Ken Howard ( 2009 ) David Strathairn ( 2010 ) Guy Pearce ( 2011 ) Tom Berenger ( 2012 ) James Cromwell ( 2013 ) Martin Freeman ( 2014 ) Bill Murray ( 2015 ) Sterling K. Brown ( 2016 ) Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year -- Actor Richard Widmark ( 1948 ) Richard Todd, Gene Nelson ( 1950 ) Kevin McCarthy ( 1952 ) Richard Burton ( 1953 ) Richard Egan, Steve Forrest, Hugh O'Brian ( 1954 ) Joe Adams, George Nader, Jeff Richards ( 1955 ) Russ Tamblyn, Ray Danton ( 1956 ) Anthony Perkins, Paul Newman, John Kerr ( 1957 ) James Garner, Patrick Wayne, John Saxon ( 1958 ) John Gavin, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Bradford Dillman ( 1959 ) George Hamilton, James Shigeta, Barry Coe, Troy Donahue ( 1960 ) Michael Callan, Brett Halsey, Mark Damon ( 1961 ) Bobby Darin, Warren Beatty, Richard Beymer ( 1962 ) Terence Stamp, Keir Dullea, Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif ( 1963 ) Stathis Giallelis, Robert Walker ( actor, born 1940 ), Albert Finney ( 1964 ) George Segal, Topol, Harve Presnell ( 1965 ) Robert Redford ( 1966 ) James Farentino ( 1967 ) Dustin Hoffman ( 1968 ) Leonard Whiting ( 1969 ) Jon Voight ( 1970 ) James Earl Jones ( 1971 ) Desi Arnaz, Jr. ( 1972 ) Edward Albert ( 1973 ) Paul Le Mat ( 1974 ) Joseph Bottoms ( 1975 ) Brad Dourif ( 1976 ) Arnold Schwarzenegger ( 1977 ) Brad Davis ( 1979 ) Rick Schroder ( 1980 ) Timothy Hutton ( 1981 ) Ben Kingsley ( 1983 ) Kennedy Center Honorees ( 2000s ) 2000 Mikhail Baryshnikov Chuck Berry Plácido Domingo Clint Eastwood Angela Lansbury Julie Andrews Van Cliburn Quincy Jones Jack Nicholson Luciano Pavarotti 2002 James Earl Jones James Levine Chita Rivera Paul Simon Elizabeth Taylor 2003 James Brown Carol Burnett Loretta Lynn Mike Nichols Itzhak Perlman Warren Beatty Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee Elton John Joan Sutherland John Williams 2005 Tony Bennett Suzanne Farrell Julie Harris Robert Redford Tina Turner 2006 Zubin Mehta Dolly Parton Smokey Robinson Steven Spielberg Andrew Lloyd Webber 2007 Leon Fleisher Steve Martin Diana Ross Martin Scorsese Brian Wilson 2008 Morgan Freeman George Jones Barbra Streisand Twyla Tharp Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey 2009 Mel Brooks Dave Brubeck Grace Bumbry Robert De Niro Bruce Springsteen Complete list 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award 1962 : Eddie Cantor 1963 : Stan Laurel 1965 : Bob Hope 1966 : Barbara Stanwyck 1967 : William Gargan 1968 : James Stewart 1969 : Edward G. Robinson 1970 : Gregory Peck 1971 : Charlton Heston 1972 : Frank Sinatra 1973 : Martha Raye 1974 : Walter Pidgeon 1975 : Rosalind Russell 1976 : Pearl Bailey 1977 : James Cagney 1978 : Edgar Bergen 1979 : Katharine Hepburn 1980 : Leon Ames 1982 : Danny Kaye 1983 : Ralph Bellamy 1984 : Iggie Wolfington 1985 : Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward 1986 : Nanette Fabray 1987 : Red Skelton 1988 : Gene Kelly 1989 : Jack Lemmon 1990 : Brock Peters 1991 : Burt Lancaster 1992 : Audrey Hepburn 1993 : Ricardo Montalbán 1994 : George Burns 1995 : Robert Redford 1996 : Angela Lansbury 1997 : Elizabeth Taylor 1998 : Kirk Douglas 1999 : Sidney Poitier 2000 : Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee 2001 : Ed Asner 2002 : Clint Eastwood 2003 : Karl Malden 2004 : James Garner 2005 : Shirley Temple 2006 : Julie Andrews 2007 : Charles Durning 2008 : James Earl Jones 2009 : Betty White 2010 : Ernest Borgnine 2011 : Mary Tyler Moore 2012 : Dick Van Dyke 2013 : Rita Moreno 2014 : Debbie Reynolds 2015 : Carol Burnett 2016 : Lily Tomlin 2017 : Morgan Freeman Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play José Ferrer / Fredric March ( 1947 ) Henry Fonda / Paul Kelly / Basil Rathbone ( 1948 ) Rex Harrison ( 1949 ) Sidney Blackmer ( 1950 ) Claude Rains ( 1951 ) José Ferrer ( 1952 ) Tom Ewell ( 1953 ) David Wayne ( 1954 ) Alfred Lunt ( 1955 ) Paul Muni ( 1956 ) Fredric March ( 1957 ) Ralph Bellamy ( 1958 ) Jason Robards, Jr. ( 1959 ) Melvyn Douglas ( 1960 ) Zero Mostel ( 1961 ) Paul Scofield ( 1962 ) Arthur Hill ( 1963 ) Alec Guinness ( 1964 ) Walter Matthau ( 1965 ) Hal Holbrook ( 1966 ) Paul Rogers ( 1967 ) Martin Balsam ( 1968 ) James Earl Jones ( 1969 ) Fritz Weaver ( 1970 ) Brian Bedford ( 1971 ) Cliff Gorman ( 1972 ) Alan Bates ( 1973 ) Michael Moriarty ( 1974 ) John Kani and Winston Ntshona ( 1975 ) John Wood ( 1976 ) Al Pacino ( 1977 ) Barnard Hughes ( 1978 ) Tom Conti ( 1979 ) John Rubinstein ( 1980 ) Ian McKellen ( 1981 ) Roger Rees ( 1982 ) Harvey Fierstein ( 1983 ) Jeremy Irons ( 1984 ) Derek Jacobi ( 1985 ) Judd Hirsch ( 1986 ) James Earl Jones ( 1987 ) Ron Silver ( 1988 ) Philip Bosco ( 1989 ) Robert Morse ( 1990 ) Nigel Hawthorne ( 1991 ) Judd Hirsch ( 1992 ) Ron Leibman ( 1993 ) Stephen Spinella ( 1994 ) Ralph Fiennes ( 1995 ) George Grizzard ( 1996 ) Christopher Plummer ( 1997 ) Anthony LaPaglia ( 1998 ) Brian Dennehy ( 1999 ) Stephen Dillane ( 2000 ) Richard Easton ( 2001 ) Alan Bates ( 2002 ) Brian Dennehy ( 2003 ) Jefferson Mays ( 2004 ) Bill Irwin ( 2005 ) Richard Griffiths ( 2006 ) Frank Langella ( 2007 ) Mark Rylance ( 2008 ) Geoffrey Rush ( 2009 ) Denzel Washington ( 2010 ) Mark Rylance ( 2011 ) James Corden ( 2012 ) Tracy Letts ( 2013 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2014 ) Alex Sharp ( 2015 ) Frank Langella ( 2016 ) Kevin Kline ( 2017 ) Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album ( 1970s ) 1970 Art Linkletter, Diane Linkletter - We Love You Call Collect 1971 Martin Luther King Jr. - Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam 1972 Les Crane - Desiderata 1973 Bruce Botnick ( producer ) - Lenny performed by the original Broadway cast Richard Harris - Jonathan Livingston Seagull Peter Cook, Dudley Moore - Good Evening 1976 James Whitmore - Give ' em Hell, Harry ! 1977 Henry Fonda, Helen Hayes, James Earl Jones, Orson Welles - Great American Documents 1978 Julie Harris - The Belle of Amherst 1979 Orson Welles - Citizen Kane Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Complete list ( 1959 & 1960s ) ( 1970s ) ( 1980s ) ( 1990s ) ( 2000s ) ( 2010s ) People who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards Competitive EGOTs Mel Brooks John Gielgud Whoopi Goldberg Marvin Hamlisch Helen Hayes Audrey Hepburn Robert Lopez Rita Moreno Mike Nichols Richard Rodgers Scott Rudin Jonathan Tunick Honorary recipients Harry Belafonte James Earl Jones Quincy Jones Alan Menken Liza Minnelli Barbra Streisand Book : EGOT winners VIAF : 90666196 LCCN : n84002480 ISNI : 0000 0001 2030 4456 GND : 134802497 SUDOC : 086261665 BNF : cb13987977j ( data ) MusicBrainz : cfb8476b - 625a - 4de1 - a508 - 84c91ba22bc3 BNE : XX1266114 IATH : w62231mr Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Earl_Jones&oldid=800953912 '' Categories : 1931 births Academy Honorary Award recipients Male actors from Michigan Male actors from Mississippi American male film actors African - American male actors Activists for African - American civil rights American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of Cherokee descent American people of Choctaw descent American people of Irish descent American male soap opera actors American Theater Hall of Fame inductees Audio book narrators Daytime Emmy Award winners Drama Desk Award winners Grammy Award winners Kennedy Center honorees Living people New Star of the Year ( Actor ) Golden Globe winners Obie Award recipients Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Manistee County, Michigan People from Tate County, Mississippi Pershing Riflemen American male Shakespearean actors Tony Award winners United States Army officers American military personnel of the Korean War United States National Medal of Arts recipients University of Michigan alumni Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors American male stage actors American male television actors African - American military personnel Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from April 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015 Articles with IBDb links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2015 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Aragonés Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latina Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Shqip Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Winaray Yorùbá Edit links This page was last edited on 16 September 2017, at 19 : 18. 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Question: who was the voice of mufasa in the lion king
Answer: James Earl Jones