Where was James Earl Jones born? Childhood explored as veteran actor dies aged 93

Actor James Earl Jones, who voiced the iconic character Darth Vader, passed away at the age of 93 on September 9, 2024. He was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on January 17, 1931. Jones has served in the military as a pre-med major and was a part of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Pershing Rifles Dream Team, and the National Society of Scabbard and Blade. He got into the field of entertainment after his service in the military.

James Earl Jones' agent confirmed the news of his death in a statement to People Magazine. The agent said that the actor had been at his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the time of his death.

James Earl Jones left an impression over the years with his performances in films like Claudine, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Hunt for Red October. He even had a successful career on television, where he portrayed roles in shows like Long Ago and Far Away.

Social media platforms were also flooded with tributes for the star, with people expressing grief over the industry losing him. The Disney CEO, Bob Iger, took to Facebook to pay tribute to Jones. In a post on Disney's official page, he wrote that James had voiced some of the best characters over the course of his career.

"A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences," Iger wrote.

Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston also shared a tribute on Facebook, saying that Earl Jones was "so much more" than what he used to be on screen. Bryan revealed that he met James a few times and was impressed with his work on stage.

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James Earl Jones had a stuttering problem as a child

James Earl Jones lived with his grandmother after his parents left him, and by the age of 8, he began having trouble speaking. He addressed the same during a congressional panel in 2002. James said that he "gave up speech" when he was a child because he "stuttered badly." The military veteran added that he "retreated and lived in a world of silence."

"But I found my voice in books and I found the expanded vocabulary that is so important for someone who stutters," the actor said.

James Earl Jones said that he began using notes to speak to others. The actor went on to say that one of his teachers at Dickson High School convinced him to read a poem to the class. Jones recalled that he managed to speak aloud and told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2009 interview that he read the poem out loud "without stuttering."

"He looked at the poem I wrote and said, "It's too good for you to have written, so to prove you wrote it, please stand up in front of the class and recite it from memory." And I did it without stuttering. So he used that as a program to get me to talk," the actor said.

Jones also was a part of the debate team and participated in multiple contests. He spoke to The New York Times in 1974 and credited his control over stuttering as the one thing that helped him have a successful career in the entertainment industry. He said that verbal communication became an important part of his life when he discovered that his stuttering problem was gone.

James Earl Jones enrolled in a drama group that helped him to work on his acting skills. He studied drama at the University of Michigan, where he also played basketball. The actor who went on to voice Darth Vader in the original 1977 film, Star Wars, joined the American Theater Wing program and made his debut on stage during the 50s.

After being a part of multiple plays, James Earl Jones became a part of television in 1963, when he was featured in an episode of East Side/West Side. He voiced various characters in The Simpsons and narrated a few episodes of 3rd Rick from the Sun. He most famously voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels. Jones also voiced Mufasa in 2019's live-action version of The Lion King.

James' survivors include his son Flynn Earl Jones, who was born from his second marriage to actress Cecilia Hart. The duo tied the knot in 1982 and were together until Hart's demise in 2016.