Out of all the actors and all the voices that have come to prominence in show business James Earl Jones owns on of those that people know the most. In fact some people have actually been terrified of his voice when he uses it for certain purposes since it’s booming quality is something that unnerves those that don’t do well with loud noises. But throughout his career he’s been one of the most revered individuals when it comes to his acting or his voice work and he’s been an icon for so many years that simply getting him to speak for one simple part is an honor that a lot of people have likely paid a great deal for. When you can become known in such a way for just your voice it means that you were given something special in life that was meant to be shared with others, which is precisely what he’s done for years.
Here’s a few things about James that people might not have known.
10. James took acting lessons to correct a stutter.
He used to have a terrible stutter and to be honest he still has to struggle against it today. He was told to write poems and to read them in front of class in order to help with the stutter, and acting has no doubt been a big help since few if any people could possibly believe that he ever had any trouble speaking in public.
9. He was an officer in the US Army.
James served his country proudly and still managed to become one of the best actors that has ever been seen or heard on screen, distinguishing himself as one of those that has done great things with his life both on and off screen.
8. He was one of only two black men to play a major role in the first Star Wars trilogy.
If you’ll take the time to remember there might have been other African American individuals in the film, but only he and Billy Dee Williams were big name actors that had anything more than a passing glance on screen.
7. His name wasn’t on the credits of the first two Star Wars movies.
At that time he didn’t feel like he was a big enough celebrity to warrant a credit so he declined to have his name run in the closing credits. There was no doubt of who was doing the voice of Darth Vader after a while, but it wasn’t until the third movie that he decided to allow his name to be in the credits.
6. James was the first established celebrity to appear on Sesame Street.
This is kind of hard to believe since there have been more and more actors on this show in the past many years but honestly since his career has spanned decades at this point it’s not hard to verify if you go and look.
5. He had to leave a revival of On Golden Pond.
Unfortunately he was battling a case of pneumonia and had to bow out of the play. It’s not exactly wise to keep going with the show when you’re absolutely miserable and need to lie down. The show must go on obviously, but sometimes the actors need to take care of themselves first.
4. He’s a member of the NRA.
This seems like one of those small facts that people might not know and might not care about but it does bring up his stance on the whole gun control issue that’s been going on throughout the country lately. As a member of the NRA one would think that he’s not exactly for people being forced to get rid of guns, though a lot of people have agreed on more restrictions.
3. For the role of Darth Vader he almost lost out to Orson Welles.
George Lucas was looking for someone that had a voice like Orson Welles, but didn’t think he could afford Welles himself. You’ve got to remember that Star Wars didn’t have a huge budget to work with and they needed someone that could work for lower pay but still get the job done. James’ voice was a big part of what got him the role and what made him an icon later on in life.
2. He was the first black man to play the president of the United States in film.
Since then there have been a few black men that have managed to slip into the role of president throughout the years, but it was kind of unprecedented when he did it, if only because the idea hadn’t really struck that many people at the time.
1. There are a lot of roles that he’s been considered for throughout the years.
Like a lot of actors he’s been considered for various roles but lost out either because the director found someone that was a little more appropriate for the role or because he had prior obligations. It’s one of the many things that goes into being an actor.
No matter where he goes or what he does at this point he’s an icon that is known to just about everyone in some manner.
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