James Earl Jones’ Most Memorable Roles

The warmth and power James Earl Jones brings to Mufasa makes you feel like you can take on the world and do anything. His regal presence shines through the animation.

In the hands of anyone else, Darth Vader would have come off as a one note villain in a space movie. However, long before the prequel trilogy was ever a thing, his nuanced performance allowed us to see the tortured man hidden beneath the machine.

King Jaffe is the straight man to Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s foolishness and he’s brilliant at it. It works so well because he’s clearly taking his role as an African king seriously, not acknowledging that he’s in this over the top comedy.

What stands out in “Claudine” is the authenticity in Jones’ performance. We know he’s playing a character, but he always makes Roop feel like a real person. It never feels like he’s putting on an act, which is something a lot of actors don’t know how to do. Plus, he and Diahann Carroll are magic together.

As a Black president who everyone is trying to force their own agenda on, there’s a captivating performance happening in his body language. We’re always aware of the intense frustration and exhaustion he carries around.

People often forget that the legend is just as adept at comedy as he is at drama. His spot on comedic timing manages to shine through even opposite Richard Pryor.

Yes, Doom is an over the top, crazy villain. But even with all the ‘80s sci-fi trappings around him and Arnold Schwarzenegger chewing scenery, James Earl Jones manages to bring an undeniable elegance to the character.

“Field of Dreams” is one of those movies that fans have a deep. emotional connection to. A big part of that comes from Jones’ Terrence Mann, who is disillusioned, grumpy, joyous and filled with wonder. He takes viewers on a masterful emotional journey.

For many us, “The Sandlot” holds special childhood memories as one of those movies you see when you’re a kid and every time you watch it, you’re instantly back in that moment. As a warm reminder of simpler times, Mr. Mertle is a beautiful gift to fans of the film.

James Earl Jones was known for his larger than life characters, but he was also known for telling Black stories and showcasing Black culture. No matter how small the role or what the project was, he never let us forget a Black man was exploring the story.

The genius of James Earl Jones’ talent is in the small things. He can take a seemingly meaningless moment and show you all the emotional layers of his character in that one scene. What’s even more btilliant is that these acting masterclasses usually happen in the quiet moments.

The actor felt that his experience growing up in the south prepared him to play a man familiar with constant discrimination, as well as someone who has to learn to let go of the anger caused by that bigotry. Knowing exactly what to bring to a role may have been his greatest gift.

Every actor who plays this part brings something different and unforgettable to it. What we get from James Earl Jones is dignity and resolve.

Obviously, there were more important and impactful roles we could’ve chose, but what he gave us in “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” was a meeting of the past and present. When someone of his magnitude appears in films like these, he’s telling the world that all our stories matter.

When Sheldon wants to start his own comic-con, he asks James to be his first guest. The actor hilariously plays an over the top version of himself, poking fun at his status as Darth Vader and Mufasa. It showcases how completely comfortable he was with his long lasting career.