# RIP James Earl Jones **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [September 9, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029 "2024-09-09T21:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/1 "2024-09-09T21:08:55Z")
> **[James Earl Jones, iconic voice of Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and Mufasa in...](https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/entertainment/james-earl-jones-death/index.html)** > > Actor James Earl Jones, known for his booming voice and many memorable performances, died Monday morning, according to his agent Barry McPherson. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/2 "2024-09-09T21:10:24Z")
Well, shit. That voice was one in a zillion, but he also seemed like a genuinely likable fellow. Rest in peace, Mr. Jones. I will miss you. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/3 "2024-09-09T21:12:41Z")
He narrated Poe’s “The Raven” on the very first Simpsons Halloween special, and it’s always been my favorite rendition. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/4 "2024-09-09T21:15:42Z")
Loved his King Jaffe Joffer character. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/5 "2024-09-09T21:16:02Z")
This makes me so sad. He had a great run and is beloved by so many. RIP ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/6 "2024-09-09T21:22:16Z")
He was great in many things, but my favorite was his speech about baseball in _Field of Dreams_. R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/7 "2024-09-09T21:25:39Z")
I think I was ten when I saw this (12 seconds)…instantly hooked: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2XOzyBQ594E/maxresdefault.jpg "You are part of the rebel alliance and a traitor.. Take her away!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XOzyBQ594E) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/8 "2024-09-09T21:27:47Z")
His lack of life disturbs me. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/9 "2024-09-09T21:41:59Z")
Magnificent voice. > **[Thulsa Doom's Revenge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn0td-xpl8w%2F)** > > Great quote from any evil guy > **[Coming to America (1988) - The King's Shoes (HD)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GmPDV2UEYc%2F)** > > King Jaffe Joffer of Zamunda tied his own shoes once.I don't own the movie.I hope you enjoy the video. ╔━━╗║ X X ║║╰╯║07-03-22 (KJS-22)Production Company: Ed... ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/10 "2024-09-09T21:46:12Z")
He overcame a severe stutter to provide such a mellifluous voice. > **[James Earl Jones on stammering](https://stamma.org/news-features/james-earl-jones-stammering)** > > Read quotes from the actor behind Darth Vader’s voice about growing up with a stammer and becoming one of the most recognisable voices in cinema. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/11 "2024-09-09T22:00:09Z")
If you’re a fan of his, and have never seen the episode of _The Big Bang Theory_ on which he guest-starred as himself, seek it out. He’s extremely funny in it, and it’s clear that he had a blast making it. > **["The Big Bang Theory" The Convention Conundrum (TV Episode 2014) ⭐ 8.0 |...](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3453320/)** > > 21m | TV-PG ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/12 "2024-09-09T22:04:09Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He’s extremely funny in it, and it’s clear that he had a blast making it. I fall asleep to BBT episodes, and _just_ saw that one (again) a couple of days ago. So much fun! ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/13 "2024-09-09T22:05:34Z")
Nooooooooo! So long, Thulsa Doom. It was always a treat seeing you whether it was Star Wars, The Sandlot, or guest starring on a television show. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/14 "2024-09-09T22:13:48Z")
One of his lesser known works is the movie adaptation of a novel called The Man by Irving Wallace. The book came out in the 1960s and was about an African American congressman ascending due to the line of succession to become President of the United States. Bare in mind it was written during the time when in real life there was uncertainty and backlash towards the cause for Civil Rights with legislation in real life not having been passed at the time of publication. It was a very successful book and Jones played the character President Dillman in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/15 "2024-09-09T22:24:53Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > He overcame a severe stutter to provide such a mellifluous voice. More precisely, he overcame the stutter by developing that mellifluous voice. He was the commencement speaker at Villanova one of the years I was there (the band was at all of the commencements), and he did a great job of it. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/16 "2024-09-09T22:30:22Z")
I will contemplate this on the Tree of Woe. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/17 "2024-09-09T22:31:42Z")
One of the greatest voices ever, he was usually a powerful presence and had an underrated flair for comedy. It’s easy to forget he’s in _Dr Strangelove_ as one of the bomber crew (“Negative function”) because he plays it so straight while Slim Pickens plays Slim Pickens. In the same year of his dignified performance as “Kokumo” in the execrable _Exorcist II: The Heretic_ (1977), he played an Arab sheikh in _The Last Remake of Beau Geste_. Political correctness aside, I recall him being hilarious in this truly surreal comedy. One of his rare overacted performances occurred in the deservedly little-seen _End of the Road_ (1970) as a doctor treating catatonia-prone teacher Stacy Keach. I’m not sure I can think of another role where he even came close to being this bad. Of course, he might have had an even greater career if he hadn’t shot MLK, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/18 "2024-09-09T22:34:33Z")
“Mellifluous” “Oprah” ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/19 "2024-09-09T22:37:42Z")
A good guy. May his voice be eternal. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029/20 "2024-09-09T23:05:11Z")
In “Dr. Strangelove”, his first screen role, he had a sort of controlled panic - a guy who’s determined to be a good soldier when things went south. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-earl-jones/1007029.md?page=2)