James Earl Jones, renowned actor and voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00Now, he has perhaps the most recognisable voice in Hollywood,

00:04that one of the cinematic world's most fearsome characters, Darth Vader.

00:09But now the actor James Earl Jones has died.

00:12The man who overcame childhood stutter to develop such a rich voice

00:16died at the age of 93.

00:18We're going to hear from him first of all, both in character and out.

00:24You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor.

00:28I go where the work is. I'm a gentleman actor.

00:32James Earl Jones there, an overall revered actor,

00:34famous for many other roles as well, of course.

00:37Let's hear then from our correspondent in Los Angeles, Waseem Corning.

00:42Well, James Earl Jones, he was a voice recognisable among millions.

00:46He was seen and heard on stages and screens for over 70 years.

00:50He began his career on Broadway back in 1957,

00:52but it wasn't until 10 years later that he had his first breakout role,

00:56playing the part of troubled boxer Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope,

01:00which he won his first Tony Award for.

01:03He continued his acting career, became the first celebrity guest on Sesame Street.

01:07But it was a two and a half voiceover for George Lucas that changed his life.

01:11The director cast James Earl Jones for the voice of Darth Vader,

01:15making him known around the world.

01:17Jones remaining modest.

01:18He even asked producers not to include his name in the credits

01:21because he didn't want to overshadow the actor playing Darth Vader.

01:25His fame and talent led him to other big voice roles,

01:28a Navy admiral in The Hunt for Red October.

01:30He and of course, Mufasa in The Lion King.

01:34In the 1990s, it became the trademark voice

01:36for the world's biggest news network with the classic tagline.

01:41This is CNN.

01:42Perhaps one of the biggest shocks when you look back at his career

01:45was the major hurdle that he had to overcome during his childhood

01:48when he developed a debilitating stutter at the time.

01:52A high school teacher helped Jones find his confidence

01:55by focusing on the poetry that the teenager loved to write.

01:59James Earl Jones found his voice once again

02:02and the entertainment industry gained a legend.

02:04Waseem Kornuvel, correspondent in Los Angeles.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended