James Earl Jones was a legend, but a controversial decision will make him immortal
The worlds of stage and screen lost a certified legend when James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93. History is destined to remember him as not only one of his generation’s most gifted performers but also a monumental figure in the history of the American arts.
Using acting to overcome a childhood stutter, Jones quickly established himself as a talent with an incredibly bright future when it became his full-time vocation after serving in the military during the Korean War. As far as film debuts go, working with one of the best ever was a sign of things to come.
Jones made his screen debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove, but it was treading the boards where he made his name. Already one of the most accomplished Shakespearean actors of his era, Jones’ first major recognition for his stage work came when he won a Tony Award for ‘Best Actor’ in The Great White Hope.
That made him just the second Black actor to win the trophy, following the trailblazing Harry Belafonte. When he reprised the role for the big screen adaptation, he earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for ‘Best Actor’, which made him the first person other than Sidney Poitier to make the shortlist.
After receiving an honourary Oscar for his contributions to the arts in 2011, Jones reached non-competitive EGOT status, becoming the 24th person in total to attain the ‘Big Four’. With three Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and three Tonys to his name, he had the accolades to back up his talent, but legendary status was secured by far more than his most acclaimed and celebrated performances.
Thanks entirely to its enduring status as one of pop culture’s most omnipotent brands, Star Wars will always be known as the most iconic work of Jones’ career. While some might decry such a respected and esteemed actor being recognised above all for stepping into the recording booth and lending his unmistakably sonorous tones to the villain of a sci-fi blockbuster, Darth Vader wouldn’t be one of history’s greatest villains without him.
His contributions to The Lion King and its live-action remake will ensure new generations will always be introduced to Jones. His wonderfully hammy turn as the nefarious Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian underlined his cult credentials, and comedic turns in Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America and a riotous guest spot in The Big Bang Theory reiterated that there was nothing he couldn’t do.
Of course, nobody needs reminding that Jones is a legend, but it’s a more controversial and contentious decision that will guarantee him immortality. He’d already quietly retired from the Star Wars business, but there’s no chance the Disney-owned franchise will pass up the opportunity to continue utilising Darth Vader as much as possible, even with the inimitable voice behind the character having passed away.
The perils of artificial intelligence and the manipulation of deceased actors brought back to contribute to legacy sequels and spinoffs from beyond the grave have been an increasingly hot topic of debate in Hollywood in recent years, but Jones was more than happy to throw his lot in with AI.
He hadn’t recorded any lines as Darth Vader since a brief contribution to 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, and yet Darth Vader was heavily featured in the streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi. To do so, Jones signed the rights to his voiceover to Lucasfilm, which subsequently enlisted the company Respeecher to comb through the archives and compile a performance generated entirely by AI.
In theory, Jones’ voice can be recreated for movies, TV shows, video games, and any other form of Star Wars media the Mouse House can think of, with no restrictions in place as to the how, what, when, where, and why. Realistically, it’s an opportunity Disney and Lucasfilm aren’t going to pass up when the people in charge have free rein to use one of fiction’s most iconic figures to their heart’s content.
A century from now, there’s going to be a lot of people who’ve never seen any of his work on stage or screen and may not even be able to pick Jones out of a line-up. And yet, should Star Wars carry on in perpetuity as seems increasingly likely, then everybody will know exactly who Darth Vader is and what he sounds like, which is the thin line between legendary and immortal.
