James Earl Jones was an accomplished actor on stage and screen, but he was perhaps best known for his voice-over roles.
His death reminded fans of the incredible characters he played over the years, and his voice was the star of the show.
From the iconic Darth Vader to the all-important Disney King, James’ baritone is not only instantly recognizable, but also incredibly powerful.
Still, fans might be surprised to see James take on some roles as a voice actor. In fact, he has done a lot of TV work, but some people have completely forgotten about it.
Like a certain ad that remains iconic to this day.
James Earl Jones’s most iconic voice role
In 1977, the world was introduced to Darth Vader, the Sith Lord villain who would face off against the Jedi again and again throughout the Star Wars franchise.
Although James himself has never donned an all-black metal suit, he has voiced some of the most famous movie villains of all time in more than a dozen Star Wars projects.
He created the character in the original trilogy, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Jedi Counterattack. Hayden Christensen returns to voice Darth as he transitions from Anakin to Vader in Revenge of the Sith.
But James didn’t stop there. He returned to the role twice more in the film, Rogue One In the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Additionally, he has also lent his voice to television projects such as Star Wars: Rebels and Obi-Wan Kenobi. His voice can even be heard on Star Tours attractions at Disney parks around the world.
The one true king
But Darth Vader isn’t the only Disney-owned character voiced by James. In 1994, he voiced Mufasa in the Oscar-nominated film, The Lion King.
Like Vader, James is happy to return to the character whenever the studio needs him. He returned as Mufasa in TV movies such as The Lion Guard: Roaring Returns and The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. His voice can also be heard in another Disneyland attraction, this time in a show called Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable at Epcot in Orlando.
But most notably, he’s the only member of the original cast to return for the live-action/CGI remake. lion king 2019.
It remains to be seen whether he will appear in the upcoming prequel Mufasa: The Lion Kingalthough he has not been listed as part of the cast so far.
“This is CNN”
James Earl Jones’ voice roles extend beyond the big screen.
Cable news viewers will always remember him as the Voice of CNN. For decades, he has used his voice to express CNN’s slogan: “This is CNN,” with a dramatic pause after “This…”
A CNN spokesperson said in a statement after his death that Jones “has been the face of CNN and our brand for decades, uniquely conveying instant authority, grace and decorum through his speeches.”
“This extraordinary voice is just one of the many things the world will miss about James,” the statement added.
But is James Earl Jones also the voice of Abby?
Every generation will remember James for his voice roles. Even though he’s one of the most recognizable voices of all time, there’s still some mystery surrounding his resume.
Case in point: For years, fans have been convinced that James Earl Jones was the face of Arby’s commercials, proudly declaring “We’ve Got Meat” as a voiceover.
However, despite their similar voices, Ving Rhames has been voicing Arby’s commercials since 2014.
If you need proof, check out this ad from April 2024.
But don’t worry, James has dozens of other voice roles you might not remember!
James Earl Jones’s little-known voice roles
Simpsons fans will remember that James has appeared in many Halloween specials over the years. Most notably, he voiced the alternate-universe Maggie in Treehouse of Horror V.
He provided the voice of the narrator in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played Diablo in the 1990s episode of Garfield, and played Giant-Man in the 2009 film Jack and the Beanstalk.
But back to Disney, legend has it that as late as 2013, he voiced the idol god Mara in “Raiders of the Lost Ark: Temple of the Forbidden Eye” at Disneyland.
