Croaking it 2024

[hallicks]

Not forgetting his iconic role as guy in a mobile phone advert with Malcolm McDowell. Honestly from a place of love, occasionally I still say to my wife, “Hannah has sent you a friend request.” 

 

[JLM]

Yep, a true legend. 93 years too, hell of a run!

The original Star Wars trilogy and Coming to America are some of my most watched films of all time. Taped off TV, ad breaks in the middle of them, never got tired of watching them. 

I remember him being excellent in Finder's Fee from 2001. Bought it as a punt from CEX because he was in it and he was great. Looking it up now, I see the movie itself is not well remembered or indeed highly regarded, but it's a hidden gem of a performance from the great man. 

[Chest Rockwell]

Ah man. Another big piece of my childhood gone right there. Feel very sad about this one. Thulsa Doom was his most iconic role for me as a kid. Objectively not his finest film but damn if he didn't bring a lot to the character.

That, and Coming to America.

Edited September 9, 2024 by Chest Rockwell

[FLips]

Always loved his turn in Frasier and outside of the obvious ones like Darth Vader or Mufasa, it's the performance I think of most. That and his voice line on The Lion King on the Mega Drive "Everything the light touches...is our kingdom".

[Onyx2]

This will be a day long remembered. 

[SpiritOfTheForest]

A bit weird but the first thing I always associate James Earl Jones with is this. A big loss to the world of cinema in any case.

 

[wordsfromlee]

My favourite thing he ever did

 

[I Bent My Wookie]

Very sad about the news about James Earl Jones. 93 though is an incredible amount of time for someone always so open about their own health issues. 

I think when history looks back in another 50 years time, in the same way that Chaplain and Laurel & Hardy are remembered for Silent film now, Clint Eastwood is remembered for Western's and directors like Hitchcock and Tarrantino are remembered for their own style and quirks James Earl Jones will be remembered as the voice of not just one generation but countless.

It's remarkable for me that for an actor that broke as many boundaries as he did and performed as amazingly as he has (EGOTs are hard to find, even if his was honorary but still deserved) its his voice that stands out as such an important part of media history.

His performance in The Great White Hope was something I studied while looking at Sporting Films during a University module and made me just insanely jealous of anyone that had the chance to witness the play version with him as a lead. The way he had such a gravitas through life, that big booming voice but also just how big of a man he was, his performances had weight to them and his characterisation work of African American men in a time in society where their struggles were so difficult, even the revival of Driving Miss Daisy which got such amazing reviees made me wish I had tried harder to go to West End Shows when I was younger rather than pretend I wasn't interested in theatre.

Field of Dreams was my favourite film growing up despite knowing bugger all about Baseball and I think a lot of it came down to Jones' performance, the bitterness and resentment his character had that turned to warmth just made him feel a safe character and person. 

He was an incredible Shakespearean actor. Probably in the same way that UK audiences are so enamoured with the likes of Sir Ian McKellens Shakespeare work, American audiences had him. There was a fantastic full performance of King Lear I watched back when I was looking at on YouTube a few years back that stood out and if you have time and just want to see passion in someones voice and demeanour generations after they first performed there is some just beautiful spoken pieces of Othello he performs on YouTube that has me searching in the hope there is a full video somewhere from his prime.

My generation (I apologise I'll never preyend to be that young again) obviously are gutted that the voice of Mustafa and Darth Vader has gone. It was somewhat poetic that on a day a thread starts up stating that "I've Never Watched Star Wars" its most recognisable voice has gone. In truth I only watched them all a few years back myself, but I always got a smile knowing that one of animations most loyal, proud and pure good characters is also the voice of one of Sci Fis greatest evil, twisted villains.

He seemed like he did so much for the arts in America. After reading about his passing tonight I went back over my old dissertation notes for my Sesame Street dissertation and couldn't believe I forgot he was a part of its creation and seen as one of the first "stars" to then appear on the show. Him counting to 10 in that voice of his, being an African American on TV actually was one of the pieces used on test audiences with the greatest effect and results. The 55th anniversary of Sesame Street is coming up this year and I hope they do something to honour him.

The thing I think I loved most about him though is he seemed like he loved life and what he did. Theres a guest appearance on the Big Bang Theory where he takes Sheldon on a pub crawl that ends up in a Sauna and pranking Carrie Fisher and I always just want to feel that he was really that fun and it wasn't too far away from the truth of the man. 

The idea that James Earl Jones absolutely loved Tijuana and that he "loves Star Wars too!" as much as the fanboys tickles me.

This was a man who's legacy comes from the words he spoke. And that he suffered when he was younger with a stutter makes it even more remarkable.

"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter."

Probably advice I'll be taking more on board every day. 

[Surf Digby]

Never one to pass up an opportunity to pimp Sneakers, Jones is equally great as a grumpy old man (well, old compared to me in the 90s). I always loved how he never seemed to take himself seriously, despite the serious work he was doing.

[SaitoRyo]

Hell of a run for James Earl Jones right there. 

Never one for Star Wars, personally, though I appreciate just how much he lent to that character and whole saga. He had such a distinctive voice and I enjoyed his work in The Lion King, The Simpsons and other things, but will remember him most for being in Field of Dreams, which is one of my favourite films ever.

I also have a soft spot for his performance in Grim Prairie Tales, a long forgotten horror anthology where he and Brad Dourif swap stories around a campfire, which was something of a VHS classic for me when I was younger. 

RIP. 

[Jazzy G]

93 is a heck of an innings, and his performances were such a big part of so many people's lives. He'll be very sadly missed. 

[Dr. Alan Grant]

Ah, this sucks. I love his run on Astonishing X-Men and the Star Wars relaunch. 

[Harry Wiseau]

Robin Guy, drummer for Rachel Stamp and session drummer with many many many bands, recently in Sham 69 but probably most known in here for subbing on drums for Faith No More on TOTP back in the day.

[Surf Digby]

Kenneth Cope, star of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), and who appeared in Carry On Matron and At Your Convenience has died at the age of 93.

 

[John Matrix]

Fuck off ?.  Jon's story here makes the bad news even worse.