James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones is an American actor whose career spans more than seven decades. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, theater, and television. Jones has a stutter which was more pronounced in his youth. In his episode of "Biography," he said it was helped by poetry, public speaking, and acting. Jones has also spoken publicly about his long-term health challenge with type 2 diabetes, which was first diagnosed in the 1990s. A pre-med major in college, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. Since his Broadway debut in 1957, he has performed in several Shakespeare plays including "Othello," "Hamlet," "Coriolanus," and "King Lear."

Jones made his screen debut in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film Dr. Strangelove. After working steadily in the theater, Jones won his first Tony Award in 1968 for his role in The Great White Hope, which he reprised in the 1970 film adaptation earning him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. He became well known as the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film trilogy, released between 1977 and 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Jones appeared in a number of successful films, including Conan the Barbarian, Matewan, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, The Sandlot, and The Lion King. During the 21st century, Jones has steadily continued working in the theater. He also reprised several of his popular film roles in the Star Wars prequel Rogue One, the remake of The Lion King, and Coming 2 America.

Over his career Jones has won three Tony Awards out of five nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. Jones was presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President George H.W. Bush in 1992. He received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. Jones was invited by President Barack Obama to perform Shakespeare at the White House Evening for Poetry in 2009. That same year he also received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. He received an Honorary Academy Award on November 12, 2011, an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Harvard University on May 25, 2017, and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre in 2017.