- "I am happy to be a part of the whole cult movement. But they are scary. People are fanatics. I went to a comic-book convention once. George Lucas wrote me a statement to make as nasty as Dark Vader. It was a salutation. But at least I had something to do. I don't sign autographs."
- ―James Earl Jones on Star Wars conventions
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor who voiced the masked Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, including the Holiday Special. He does not actually appear onscreen, as his voice was dubbed over while the suit was worn by David Prowse and stuntman Bob Anderson in the original trilogy, the Holiday Special, and while Hayden Christensen wore the suit in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. By 2022, he has stepped down from the role, and in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader's voice was artificially created using archival recordings.
Biography[]
In March of 1977, James Earl Jones spent only one day recording Darth Vader's voice-over dialogue for Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope at Goldwyn Studios.[3] As such, Jones refused to be credited until the release of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, even going as far as telling people it wasn't he who did the voice-over.[2]
He reprised the role in the anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.[4]
In the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader's voice was artificially created with Respeecher, which uses archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers. Respeecher, which also created the voice of young Luke Skywalker for The Book of Boba Fett, was used because Jones's voice has altered with age and he has stepped back from the role. After Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, Jones had mentioned he was looking into winding down Vader. Matthew Wood presented Jones with Respeecher's work, and the actor signed off on using his archival voice recordings to keep Vader alive and vital even by artificial means. Jones is credited for guiding the performance on Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Wood described his contribution as "a benevolent godfather." They informed the actor about their plans for Vader and heeded his advice on how to stay on the right course.[5]
Works[]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Series | Contribution(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope | Darth Vader | ||
| 1978 | The Star Wars Holiday Special | Darth Vader | ||
| 1980 | Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back | Darth Vader | ||
| 1983 | Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi | Darth Vader | ||
| 2005 | Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith | Darth Vader | Uncredited | |
| 2014 | Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | ABC premiere |
| 2015 | Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | |
| 2016 | "Shroud of Darkness" | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | |
| 2016 | "Twilight of the Apprentice" | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | |
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Darth Vader | ||
| 2018 | "A World Between Worlds" | Star Wars Rebels | Darth Vader | Archived audio |
| 2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker | Darth Vader | ||
| 2022 | "Part III" | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Darth Vader | |
| 2022 | "Part IV" | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Darth Vader | |
| 2022 | "Part V" | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Darth Vader | |
| 2022 | "Part VI" | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Darth Vader |
Other work[]
Sources[]
- The Jedi Master's Quizbook
"Speaking for Darth: The Magic of James Earl Jones" — Star Wars Insider 25- Star Wars Insider 49
- James Earl Jones on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: The Complete Vader
- Star Wars in 100 Scenes
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition
Notes and references[]
- ↑
James Earl Jones on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A lifetime of achievement, but James Earl Jones isn't done by Wloszczyna, Susan on USA TODAY (January 25, 2009) (archived from the original on April 10, 2016)
- ↑ Star Wars Insider 95
- ↑ Darth Vader Lives! by Breznican, Anthony on Entertainment Weekly (June 23, 2016) (archived from the original on January 8, 2020)
- ↑ Darth Vader's Voice Emanated From War-Torn Ukraine by Breznican, Anthony on Vanity Fair (September 23, 2022) (archived from the original on September 23, 2022)
