Remembering the Late James Earl Jones: His Memorable Roles and Achievements

James Earl Jones, one of the few EGOT-winning actors, passed away Sept. 9. (Courtesy/Chris Pizzello)

On Monday, Sept. 9, American actor James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93.

Jones was an honorary Oscar and EGOT—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony— winner. His acting ranged from voicing memorable characters to performances in action and dramas that contributed to his commanding presence in cinema history. He appeared in various plays, nearly 120 movies and 90 television shows. He’s most famously known for voicing Mufasa in “The Lion King” and Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” spinoffs.

“He had acting and talent that transcended race discussions. He was a generational talent that set the tone for so many actors—Black, white, whatever race to come,” said former university Chorale member and alumna, Zsana Hoskins.

Jones was a history-maker whose appearances sparked discussions about race and highlighted overlooked historical figures.

He was the first Black man to win a Tony Award for Best Actor for his role as Jack Jefferson in the 1968 drama “Great White Hope”—a story about the first African-American to win the world heavyweight championship. 

“I think he gives permission for—especially [for] our male student population—to embody masculinity and vulnerability and the commitment to craft work, you know? He’s one of the greats because he studies,” said Edwin Brown, a master instructor of theatre arts at Howard.

Before “Great White Hope,” Jones performed on different Broadway stages while working as a janitor to support himself, according to The Washington Post.

Jones was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985 where he adopted the role of Troy Maxson—a former Negro League baseball star turned sanitation worker—in the 1987 premiere of “Fences” written by the late playwright August Wilson. 

Howard University Honorary Doctorate recipient, August Wilson, inspired the creation of the August Wilson Society (AWS). 

“I loved his performance in Fences and I think it definitely did something for August Wilson’s work and how Black theater is looked at overall. It showed that stories like that mattered and we didn’t need catchy music and choreography to do it,” Hoskins said.

The AWS website defines it as an organization that “Promotes the studying, teaching, researching, performing and ultimately the safeguarding of the rich narrative of the African American past that Wilson has bequeathed to the world.”

“Fences” ran for 525 performances, an “unusual feat for a non-musical of the period,” according to Playbill. Jones’s role in the play earned him his second Tony as Best Actor in a play.

“Stage and film legend James Earl Jones once said, ‘It’s hard for an actor to go wrong if he’s true to the words that August has written,’” said the late Chadwick Boseman—famous actor, director, playwright and Howard University alumnus—to the Los Angeles Times. “As an actor and writer, I have found that statement to be true of only a few playwrights.”

Jones also appeared in “Sandlot” and Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America.” 

“I think if you know the variety of roles he plays, it’s truly remarkable that he has such a range amongst characters that are completely different,” said Jaden Green, a senior music composition major from Delaware.

In 2015, Jones played his final Broadway role as Weller Martin in “The Gin Game.” He later made a cameo in 2016’s “Encores! Off Center” production of the musical “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.” It was his first musical, according to Playbill. 

On Sept. 11, German composer Hans Zimmer played “Lion King”’s “Circle of Life” in tribute to Jones after a concert in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Tonight we played for our Mufasa, for James Earl Jones,” he said.