Against the Grain II
By Vaughn Wilson
On Sept. 9, we lost an icon. James Earl Jones passed peacefully after quietly subsiding from the spotlight. He was 93 years old and was as beloved a Black actor as they come. Every glimpse of him exalted strength, dignity, and humanity.
He was one of only a handful of entertainers to attain the elusive “EGOT.” He won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Oscar and Tony award. This is a symbol of a total entertainer that only a select few have been able to attain.
He was known for working hectic schedules. He was the consummate professional and the personification of a grounded individual. Not once were stories of wild undertakings associated with him in his extensive career. He always seemed to be proper at every moment.
As a youngster, he was abandoned by his parents, but that didn’t stop him. He developed a severe stuttering problem as a child that lasted until high school, but that didn’t deter him. He was adopted by a racist white mother, which helped shape his views of the world, but that never derailed him.
He would begin to write poetry in high school at the encouragement of his teacher to allow him to express himself. As he read those poems in class, he began to find the creative talent within him
He would go on to perform on stages in plays, on television on “The Guiding Light,” and broadened his star power in a bevy of films that bolstered his intellect, his physique, and of course his voice. He would attain the ultimate credential in being the voice of a network when he was used as the voice of CNN.
In his earlier days he played a strong, young and jubilant baseball player in “The Bingo Long Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings.” There he played his part in a comedy full of Black stars including Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams. It was an offbeat comedy that resonates to this day.
In 1977, his international stardom would literally shoot through the universe. George Lucas casted Jones as the voice of the interstellar menace Lord Darth Vader. The dark character would strike fear in the world for his menacing costume and bellowing and forceful voice. Jones would portray the role with such power that Darth Vader literally overshadowed the good guys in the film. Fans were drawn to the mystique of the character.
However, Jones was a versatile entertainer and he brought comedic energy to the grandfather in “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” and as King Jaffe Joffer in Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America.” It displayed his ability as a rounded actor that could not be contained in a simple box.
Additionally, his role as the wise Mufasa in “The Lion King” was as admirable a role as any he played. The beloved movie was a generational gem and since his passing, many have turned to the movie scene in which he died leaving his young son to carry on his legacy.
While he was revered for his ability to deliver whatever character he chose to undertake, he is also best known for roles he did not take. So often black actors are left with scraps for roles. Trying to make it in Hollywood, several black actors have taken roles that they wish they hadn’t. They took them because they lowered themselves in order to move up the ladder. Thankfully, and deliberately James Earl Jones passed with a trail of characters from Othello to Leon Carter in Bingo Long to Darth Vader that we can enjoy and respect from here to eternity.
