On September 9th 2024, we lost one of the great long-standing actors … James Earl Jones. He had one of the most recognizable voices on the planet, he was a pioneer for black actors, and had a sensational career across various stage shows, Television roles, movies, voice acting, and his credentials just keep going. He was also one of the rare talents to achieve notoriety from the Tony’s, Emmys, Grammys and Oscars.
For me, when I was a little kid, he was one
of the very first voice actors I knew by name, and as I grew up, I viewed even
more of his talents in live-action, and gradually discovered there was so much
more to him than just his commanding voice. Funny enough, he actually had a
Stutter problem sense childhood, and acting helped him overcome his disability.
Even when in a bad movie, he still managed to be a bright spot, or was at least
something positive to take away from the experience. So, I wanted to take a minuet and rank my own personal top 10 favorite movie roles of his and arrange
them based on my own feelings of them.
#10 Jones as
Coach Frank Couzo from “Best of the Best” (1989)
“This has nothing to do with winning, if those boys do their best and fail, I'll still be proud, but if they don't give it their all and I don't give them mine, then it's my failure and my disgrace.”
This was one of those decade Sports movies that didn’t impress critics at the time, but it’s grown a fan base over the years, which is appreciated as I quite like the film myself. James Earl Jones plays the aggressive and often angry coach, who deep down has a big heart, and just wants to see his team give their all … victory or not. It’s a cliched genera staple to be sure, but Jones plays it with full sincerity, and keeps the character engaging, even though we know every beat these players are going to make. Maybe not the best sports movie ever made, but certainly a winning experience, and one with great talent on display.
#9 Jones as
Kibosh from “Casper: A Spirited Beginning” (1997)
“Silence! When I want your help, I’ll beat it out of you!”
Next to 1977’s “Exorcist 2: The Heretic”, this is probably the other worst movie James Earl Jones has ever been attached to … certainly the worst reviewed. However, I have a childhood connection to this one, and just couldn’t avoid mentioning it. That’s not to say I have any nostalgia for the movie itself, even when I was a kid, I found this Casper prequel to be boring and frequently unpleasant. With that said, the one positive take away was Jones as the voice of a supernatural overlord of the underworld.
While the ghostly villain Kibosh is
rather one-note, we got the novelty of hearing Jones apply theatrics to the
character absent from his other villain roles … including a juicy maniacal
laugh … and with his voice, it’s as epic as wicked laughs get. Beyond that,
when I was a kid, this was my first time identifying the talent by name, and
recognizing him as the same voice behind other favorite characters of mine,
making this a significant chapter in my viewing experiences with the
actor.
#8 Jones as King
Jaffe Joffer from “Coming to America” (1988) (and its 2021 sequel)
"Who are you ... a man who's never tied his own shoes. Wrong! You are a Prince who's never tied his own shoes. Believe me son, I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience."
The 1988
comedy “Coming to America” is often cited as one of Eddie Murphys
greatest comedies, and by extent one of his best performances … which it is …
but not to be overlooked is a talented all-star African American cast, with James
Earl Jones stealing every one of his scenes as Murphy’s overbearing and
traditional father. In many respects, Jones seemed born to play an African King
… something he’d be casted as a number of times … and even though this film is
played for laughs, Jones still has a commanding and intimidating presence as a
King, while also flexing his comedic chops, and displaying plenty of likability
underneath his stern attitude. It was fortunate that before the actor’s
passing, he got to reprise the role for the 2021 sequel.
#7 Jones as
Thulsa Doom from “Conan the Barbarian” (1982)
“Steel isn’t strength boy … flesh is stronger!”
Conan is one
of those 80’s fantasy pictures that was campy, yet appealing for its time …
and it’s still quite enjoyable all these years later. In the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger
stars as the titular barbarian, and is out for revenge against the evil
sorcerer Thulsa Doom, played by James Earl Jones. With the film’s frequently hammy tone, and
following on the heels of “Star Wars”, you’d think Jones would play-up
his theatrics, and make the evil wizard as bombastic as possible. Instead, he
plays against expectations, and is more restrained, giving the character more
nuance. While I wouldn’t place Thulsa Doom among the all-time great fantasy
villains, he’s certainly a memorable one, and highlights how versatile Jones is when playing different villain roles. As a side note, behind
the scenes, Jones and Arnold aided each other, with Jones providing acting
tips, and Schwarzenegger helping his costar build his physical appearance.
#6 Jones as
Jack Jefferson from “The Great White Hope” (1970)
“I’m from the Jungle like you baby, and I can hear the drums!”
While there are still five more movie roles from Jones that I have more fondness for … I think a fair argument could be made that his portrayal of real-life boxer Jack Johnson (referred to as Jefferson in the movie and stage play) is James Earl Jones greatest performance. He already shined in the role on stage, along with his co-star Jane Alexander, and once they both reprised their leading roles for the 1970 movie, it was time to get their Oscar tickets ready. This was James Earl Jones only time getting nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Actor, and while he didn’t win … he made it clear that a new young talent had been discovered, and was here to stay.
Also of note, after Sidney Poitier, Jones was
one of the very first male African American actors to be nominated for Best
Actor. While his Jack Jefferson role wasn’t the most likable character, his
portrayal of the boxer is easily his most emotionally devastating, and
impossible to take your eyes off of. The movie overall has mixed qualities, but
it’s well worth seeing just for the young James Earl Jones at the early stages
of his career, and delivering one of his sharpest performances.
#5 Jones as
Admiral James Greer from “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), “Patriot
Games” (1992), and “Clear and Present Danger” (1994)
“Watch you back Jack!”
When it
comes to movie adaptions of Tom Clancy’s novels, there have certainly been some
strong ones, with the reoccurring character of Admiral James Greer played by a
number of actors, including Morgan Freeman. However, it’s James Earl Jones
portrayal of the character in the early 90’s films that I always think back on
with the most fondness, and it’s always how I picture the character from the novels. The 1990 cold-war thriller “The Hunt for Red October” has
always been a favorite of mine, and Jones presence as the Admiral certainly
adds to the strengths of the film, even when surrounded by other noteworthy
stars. His on-screen chemistry with Harison Ford in the latter films is also
noteworthy … and of course being a “Star Wars” fan, it’s just great to
see the talents of Han Solo and Darth Vader together in a different form.
#4 Jones as
Mufasa from Disney’s “The Lion King” franchise (1994-2019)
“I’m only brave when I have to be. Being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.”
For me, and many kids from the 90’s, our initial introduction to James Earl Jones was as the voice of Mufasa from Disney’s animated classic “The Lion King”, and he’s certainly one of my favorite animated characters from the studio. Not only does Jones give Mufasa a sense of leadership and dignity, but he even has a little mischievous side, which I like. When Zazu is giving his morning report, he doesn’t scold Simba for leaping around, or not paying attention, and instead plays along with his son … “let a pro show you how it’s done”.
Still, he
teaches his son proper ethics, which balances out. He’s like the greatest
parent character from any animated movie I grew up with. Even when I watched
this movie as a kid, I always wanted Mufasa to be the main central character,
and maybe Simba could be like the boy from “Shane” who’s the one
observing all the events that unfold. Even though that wasn’t the case, Mufasa
has his place as one of my favorite animated Disney characters, and it was a
solid introduction to one of the greatest vocal talents to ever live.
#3 Jones as
Mr. Mertle from “The Sandlot” (1993) (and its 2005 sequel)
"You're in trouble aren't you son ... wait, George signed this ... I take it back, you’re not in trouble ... you’re dead where you stand!"
I should
start by saying that the 1993 sports picture “The Sandlot”, is one of my
all-time favorite movies, and by extent, I have great fondness for everyone in
this film. Even among all the sensational child talents, James Earl Jones leaves a lasting impression as the elusive neighbor Mr.
Mertle, who secretly loves Baseball just as much as our lead heroes. This
actually marked the first time I saw the actor in live-action, and it was a
special moment of discovering his strengths outside of voice acting. He’s
always a winning talent, and despite only being on screen for a few minutes … I
still view this as one of the greatest roles of his whole career. He is just so
infectiously lovable in this film, and he plays it as if it's the role he’s
wanted his whole life. Jones was after all the only actor to return for the 2005 sequel (not including the narrator). Needless to say, I love everything about "The Sandlot", and Jones has his place among the film's quality offerings.
#2 Jones as
Darth Vader from the “Star Wars” franchise (1977-2019)
“Impressive … Most Impressive … but you are not a Jedi Yet!”
Okay … cards on the table … of all the characters Jones has brought to life … Darth Vader is absolutely my favorite. However, it would be too easily and predictable to place him at number one … and there’s one other performance I like a little more. That said … Jones as the voice of Darth Vader is about as iconic as they get. Beyond his deep, booming vocals, Jones performance is what gave Vader his history and pathos, even before the story itself revealed his origins. It’s also the character he’s reprised the most over the course of five movies (six if you include “Rise of Skywalker”), animated series, live-actions shows, and multiple specials.
His various quotes are unforgettable, and each film or show featuring
Vader gives Jones a variety of different tones to work with. His vocal
performance in “Empire Strikes Back” is his most intimidating and
sinister, but my favorite has always been his performance in “Return of the
Jedi”, in which he gave the character a more sympathetic and human side. No
matter how you slice it, Darth Vader is one of the iconic movie characters, and
Jones vocal portrayal of him is one of the all-time greats.
Before I
reveal my Number One favorite James Earl Jones movie role, here are some quick
Honorable Mentions …
Rev. Stephen
Kumalo from “Cry, the Beloved Country” (1995)
Lt. Lothar
Zogg from “Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
Ray Murdock
from “A Family Thing” (1996)
Host from “Fantasia
2000” (1999)
Martin
Luther King, Sr. from “Our Friend Martin” (1999)
#1 Jones as
Terence Mann from “Field of Dreams” (1989)
“This field, this game … it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”
Whenever I think of James Earl Jones as an acting talent … outside of voice acting … it’s his portrayal of sports author Terence Mann that always comes to my mind first. In the 1989 sports fantasy “Field of Dreams”, Terence Mann is an author who retired from writing books and has been reduced to a grumpy old miser. Enter our lead hero Ray, who seeks him out and convinces Terence to take up his writing pin again, which renews the authors faith in own dreams.
Beyond being my favorite character in the movie, this is the performance that I feel highlights Jone’s range of acting, and he steals the show with every scene he’s in. He’s funny in his stubborn, bedside manner, but he’s also very humble and sincere as later in the film he conveys his words of wisdom to Ray, and it’s just a real joy watching this grumpy old hermit come out of his shell. His introduction scene is especially funny, and his closing monologue near the end of the film is nothing short of sensational. Honestly, it’s my favorite moment of his whole acting career, and it’s my favorite role that the legendary actor portrayed on film.
Thanks for
reading my countdown … rest in peace James Earl Jones (1931-2024) … and
continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
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