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‘Left a Mark on Generations’: Legendary Actor James Earl Jones Did the Unthinkable to Make Sure His Iconic Voice Will Live Forever 

Posted byBy Nicole Duncan-Smith | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

The world is mourning the loss of beloved Broadway actor James Earl Jones, who died on Monday, Sept. 9 at age 93.

While fans will miss his physical presence, the Academy Award recipient worked with Disney to allow his presence to live on in future work through technology.

Jones was not only a trailblazing actor whose performances broke barriers on Broadway since 1957 in iconic plays such as “The Great White Way,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Paul Robeson,” and his acclaimed portrayal of Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s original production of “Fences,” but he was also a man whose booming voice captivated audiences across seven different decades.

James Earl Jones transitions on Monday, Sept. 9, at the age of 93. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, Fil)

The Tony award-winning actor’s fan base spanned generations also, from the Greatest Generation to baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, Gen Zers, people all over the world knew his iconic voice.

Beyond his theatrical achievements, Jones was the voice behind some of the most memorable characters in entertainment history. He narrated 27 books of the Bible in an audiobook, voiced King Mufasa in the original “Lion King,” and, perhaps most famously, brought to life the menacing voice of Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise.

“Luke, I Am Your Father”

Jones was recruited by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas for his booming baritone in the mid-1970s. “I’m simply effects,” he claimed Lucas said to him, though he hired David Charles Prowse, who had a British accent and a tenor voice.

“George thought he wanted a — pardon the expression — darker voice,” Jones once said during a told the American Film Institute. “So, he hired a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan and stutters. That’s the voice.”

“I lucked out,” he added.

Jones had a severe stuttering problem until an English high school teacher introduced him to writing. He barely spoke in class until he began reciting poetry in front of his classmates, which helped him overcome his speech impediment.

Lucas and Disney would later note that they were the ones who were lucky, especially since they were able to pay Jones for that first recording of Darth Vader’s voice only $7,000.

Jones said, “I thought that was good money,” especially since it was only a few hours of work. He didn’t even get credit for the role in the film.

With the success of the role, Jones was rehired. But this time, he and Lucas had differing views on how Darth Vader should be voiced.

“I wanted to make Darth Vader more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically oriented,” Jones said. However, Lucas insisted, “No, no … you’ve got to keep his voice on a very narrow band of inflection, ‘cause he ain’t human.”

While inflections were important, the storyline also married perfectly with his voice and drove the film into cult classic fandom. Particularly, in “The Empire Strikes Back,” when Darth Vader dueled with Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and allowed Jones to deliver one of the most famous lines in movie history, “No, I am your father!”

That iconic line has sustained the franchise over the years.

Jones Approved AI Manipulation of His Voice Before His Death

When Disney+ started production on the new “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, they wanted to include Darth Vader but have him sound like he did over 45 years ago when Jones first voiced the role.

To do this, the company enlisted Ukrainian start-up Respeecher, a company that specializes in using archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue from the voices of past performers, to recreate Jones’ voice texture and quality from the 1970s and ’80s.

A.I. programmers worked meticulously to replicate Jones’s voice, ensuring it sounded authentic rather than a cheap imitation. They collaborated with Skywalker Sound’s Matthew Wood, who had worked with Lucasfilm for 32 years and recorded Jones multiple times, most recently in 2019 for “The Rise of Skywalker.”

At that time, Jones expressed to Wood that he was considering retiring from the role.

“He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Wood said in a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair. “So how do we move forward?”

AI technology provided the solution.

Wood presented Jones with Respeecher’s work, and ultimately the “Coming to America” star approved the use of his archival voice for new projects.

This approval allows for Jones’ Darth Vader to remain a vital presence, even through artificial means, in the franchises.

Jones is credited with guiding the performance on “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The NAACP Image Award winner was also consulted on the plans for Vader and offered advice on how to maintain the character’s integrity as recently as two years ago.

Now, James Earl Jones’ voice will be preserved for future generations. However, the estate has not commented on how it will be used in the future.

The World Mourns a Gentle Giant

Among the many tributes to Jones, one of the most poignant came from his “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill, who simply tweeted, “#RIP dad [with a broken heart emoji].”

Legendary host LeVar Burton posted on the X platform, “James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces.”

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay expressed her gratitude in her Instagram story, writing, “Thank you for showing us ourselves. Our complicated selves, our dignified selves, our smiles, our pain. A job well done. A gift beautifully shared. Bless you as you journey on.”

Ava DuVernay shared an eight slide tribute to the late James Earl Jones on her Instagram Stories. (Photos: Instagram/ @ava)

Disney CEO Bob Iger also honored Jones with a statement on the Walt Disney website, saying, “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.”

He continued, “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.”

Jones was the voice of Darth Vader, one of Hollywood’s greatest villains, in the original 1977 “Star Wars” film — which eventually was retitled “Star Wars: A New Hope” — and also in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” (1983), “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016), and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), as the Disney XD animated series “Star Wars Rebels” (2014–2018) and Disney+ Original series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (2022), which would be his last credit on IMDB.

The last project where he was seen onscreen was “Coming 2 America” with Eddie Murphy in 2021. He reprised another classic role, playing King Jaffe Joffer of Zamunda.

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