That was a fun watch Julian. Thanks for posting. 
LightSword's Corner: A Tour of my Collection
- Thread starter LightSword
- Start date
ARCHIVE COLLECTION: KLATUU CONCEPT MAQUETTE REPLICA
by: Regal Robot
"I don't ever remember getting nervous or being really disappointed in something not being picked. I just don't even have that memory and that's a rare thing in the industry" - Ken Ralston
by: Regal Robot
"I don't ever remember getting nervous or being really disappointed in something not being picked. I just don't even have that memory and that's a rare thing in the industry" - Ken Ralston
Another addition to the ever growing Archives Collection of magnificent replicas of concept maquettes by Regal Robot has started shipping, and this is one I particularly like for its great details, horns, shiny black eyes,multiple paint layers and washes of green, grays and yellows.Regal Robot has made available two editions of the Klaatu concept maquette: Legacy version made up of 83 samples that include a framed hand-drawn sketch by the artist/sculptor, and the Signature Edition, same as the Legacy version minus the sketch, consisting of 100 samples, retailing for $399 and including a plaque signed by the sculptor.
KNOWING THE CHARACTER, ORIGIN OF HIS NAME, AND THOSE THAT PLAYED THE ROLE
Klaatu was one of several Kadas'sa'Nikto who served Jabba the Hutt, and was also Barada's main assistant in charge of repairing the skiffs. Klaatu was also the first alien Luke engages on the deck of the Khetanna Sail Barge on Tatooine during the failed execution of the Jedi and his companions.
The character was played by Corey Dee Williams, the son of actor Billy Dee Williams for the US desert shoots onboard the Sail Barge in Yuma, Arizona. Earlier background work in the film was done by English actor John Simpkin during the initial scenes in Jabba's Palace in Elstree Studios in the UK. Klaatu was named for Klaatu Barada Nikto, a phrase from the 1951 film "The Day The Earth Stood Still". Klaatu is the name of the humanoid alien protagonist in the film.
MEET KEN RALSTON:
Some of the artists working the Creature Shop for ROTJ were doing all kinds of jobs before they even got to ILM. Ken Ralston for instance was always sculpting stuff for his own fun, even sculpting himself in clay or sometimes armature casting. Ralston began his career at the commercial animation and visual effects company, Cascade Pictures in Hollywood, where he worked on over 150 advertising campaigns in the early 1970s. In 1976, he was hired at Industrial Light & Magic by Dennis Muren to help George Lucas create the effects for Star Wars. He remained at ILM for 20 years and has been a leading member of a generation of special-effects wizards who came of age during the seventies and swept the eighties film world.
Ralston was working as co-effects supervisor for the Creature Shop when the ILM crew was asked to work on and come up with ideas that would show their own individuality through creating alien characters for ROTJ, thus drawings were made and a number of maquettes were created. Ralston worked on his maquette using sculpey, cooked it and painted it with acrylic paint himself. His design was based on the fact this was going to be a being having the ability to perceive or understand, supposed to be out with Jabba under the desert sun, a lizard-like humanoid with scales and horns, like an iguana, in a barge and/or desert skiff.
MAKING THE MAQUETTE FOR THE FILM
Ken sculpted Klaatu for Return of the Jedi as well as Weequay, both sculptures sharing a similar scale of about 6"-7" in height as Ken's preferred option. Ken did not want to get any smaller than that because it would have been just harder to sculpt nor wanted to go bigger because most of the maquettes at the Creature Shop sat around and with so many other things going on, it would have taken longer to sculpt and there was a deadline to follow, so the scale used was the most practical one to deliver on time.
George had something in his mind about what he wanted out there on the skiff out in the desert, a lizard-like creature like Ken's.
- "Looking close at it I realize now I got a million transparent layers of paint on this thing. I'm sort of impressed by my own work, like "wow I put a million different things on there" - Ken
- "I did some doodles/sketches or tried to figure out what I wanted to do, but I didn't show those to anybody. I think there's some drawings I may have done for Jedi, in fact Klaatu was one that George specifically requested,a generic lizard creature." - Ken.
FULL SIZE MASK
"I think Dave Carson sculpted the full size mask for Klaatu. I think I sent over some pictures of the final version. I felt slightly disappointed about the development of it into that full size mask, to be honest . I thought it was too soft, too generic just sort of a lizard and so when I walked in and saw the mask it was like okay, because mine was more severe looking I thought desert feeling and heat and it didn't have like a softer sort of nondescript kind of expression so I was like okay well there you go" -Ken
GEORGE IS COMING
No one really knew what George was going to pick out from so much stuff that was being presented to him by the crew. But luckily for Ken (among several others that he had done), Klaatu was picked by Lucas and made it into the movie, at first being nicknamed Mooof during the production process.
"I'd heard a little bit about George coming by weekly looking at all the designs and picking which ones he wanted.Some may think the experience of George showing up would have been nerve-wracking, but it truly wasn't because working with George is a different thing. He's one of the gang and it wasn't like "oh my God George Lucas is coming oh Lord." He would come by and it was fun, I mean, I think I've said this many times as hard as everything was there, and it was hard, it was also fun to be able to put these things together and of course, they all didn't get picked but it was just fine. I don't ever remember getting nervous or being really disappointed in something not being picked. I just don't even have that memory and that's a rare thing in the industry." - Ken
MAQUETTE SPECIFICS:
Materials: Polyurethane resin, wood display base, metal plaque, plastic plaque stand.
Package Size: Height - 12″ Width - 7″ Length - 7″
Maquette Size: Height: 7" x Width - 41/2" x Length - 7"
Price: $399.00 + Shipping
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Sneaky fellow ...
...
The Lost Relic ...
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"Star Wars: Brightstar"
(Winner: Best Fan Film in London, Berlin, Tokyo; Fantasia Audience Award)
(Winner: Best Fan Film in London, Berlin, Tokyo; Fantasia Audience Award)
Vader: Pull to the Light
Wow, and I was already very impressed by this one! But then again, I always loved a good "dogfight"! Looks, I'll have to do some catching up!
A phenomenon in it's own right, for sure!Sneaky fellow
A phenomenon in it's own right, for sure!
Yes. Just like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, Chaplin was part of the trio of Silent Comedy kings. It is amazing how after more than a century since some of these shorts and movies were made, we can still watch them and have a good laugh. It proves that great comedy created from the heart, without restrictions, is pretty much everlasting unlike a good number of what we get exposed to these days, in my humble opinion. These guys were all geniuses in their own right, making fun of everything and every life situation. Silent comedy to me, conveying emotion and story telling, offers a more immersive experience to the audience than "Talkies". The comedy in those silent movies was so masterfully executed by Chaplin and other great ones of the era, that it stands the test of time beautifully. Their physical comedy proved to be so effective that later on, more than once, it was used by comedians of high- caliber like Lucille Ball, John Ritter. It continues to be used these days.
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This Memorial Day, we remember those fallen in service to the United States of America and her promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
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I'm trying to keep my mind busy with work and little projects around the house while the day for my wife's surgery is fast approaching. I don't want to give it to much thought nor worry too much until that day comes. Having that in mind, I recently updated the stands on each side of the MR Falcon in the collection room. I wanted the side stands to have a Death Star look to them and match the same accents in the main display unit. I came up with this pattern and Eric cut them out for me using laser. There's a white backing behind the cut outs that allows for the lights I installed to come through. The lights can be turned on an off with a remote ...
Great looking stands, you've made there, Julian! Like the Death Star light up motive, as well as the use of the Regal Robot "Docking bay 94" plaquette on that Falcon-stand. No better way, to keep your mind distracted from your wife's upcoming surgery, than your collecting room.
Nicely done Julian. Very classy look. 
Happy 4th of July to all of you, folks. This is a very special one for me because, thank God, I have my dear wife back home from the hospital after her 2 1/2 hour surgery last week, and recovering pretty fast. It is at times like this you appreciate even more the great nation we are and the love of the people that surround us on the fourth day of July each year.
May each firework be a celebration of America and a memory of every Independence Day that's brought you joy with family and friends.
May each firework be a celebration of America and a memory of every Independence Day that's brought you joy with family and friends.
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Glad to hear surgery went well! Enjoy the holiday!!!
Great to hear, your wife's surgery went well, and that she's already starting to recover from it, Julian! I can imagine, how relieved you both are, my friend! Enjoy the festivities and the fireworks together! Wishing your wife and you, a very happy 4th of July!
So, while the good friends to the community from MYC have closed shop and are no longer around due to licensing restrictions, I feel pretty good having done graphic work for them. Despite the non-license issue, they were a model to follow, offering what collectors truly wanted, listening to their customers requests thus adding and improving things, treating everyone with respect, offering quality items and prices that were affordable. As you look around you will read more praises towards them than anything else. Of course, like with anyone or any business, you will find some folks that have chosen to attempt to put down the image of this group of collectors that really cared about our community, but that is all part of life itself, and like so we'll always find people that will agree or disagree with us in a passive or more aggressive way. As a farewell on my part to our MYC friends, I want to add to my thread here the last promo picture I had worked on for the Cloud City model that never was ...
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Hey folks, there is a T-16 Skyhopper model I can recommend that is only available within Disney Hollywood Studios in Galaxy's Edge, to be more exact at the Toydarian Toymaker shop. It does not look like a toy but more like a model. It's the closest Disney has come to an actual replica of this ship, almost the exact same size as the one we see Luke holding up in the film. It is comparable 98% to that specific piece, only needing a little extra weathering and a little update on the logo stickers, which if you want to do that, you can buy them from Etsy, and are very easy to apply. The price for the T-16 is $40.00 in the Park, which I think it is a fair price for what you get in return. I think I'm going to weather mine and make it more "personal" at some point, you know, have some fun with it. I bought mine three weeks ago prior to my wife's surgery when we were there, so it is now I get to put it together and take a picture to show it here in case you haven't seen it yet. Here it is ...
The T-16 model looks very nice Julian. Especially when it's combined with the Tatooine Luke PGM edition (now, those were the days, when it actually was worth, to be a PGM-member. Special busts, that got exclusively made for PGM-members!). Looking forward to see the weathered version!
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MYC has done an outstanding job on statues and models as long as they were active! It's the company that rekindled my enthusiasm, being a Star Wars collector, after so many letdowns by DST/GG. Very well-made items, great sculpts. I only wish I'd discovered the company much earlier!
But I cherish the Slave Leia V1, the Sandtrooper Commander, the Scout, and the loose Salacious Crumb, I was able to get. Excellent pieces, and I'm proud to have them in my collection! Michael and his crew were real artists, at their trade. And Michael being one of the nicest people, I've ever dealt with. Really hope, all goes well with him and his family, and that he'll find a way to solve the problems he's been facing, since the greedy rodent made him close his business!
You are certainly posting a worthy tribute, by posting this Cloud City model picture, Julian. And I am sure MYC has earned itself a special place in the hearts of many Star Wars collectors!
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The T-16 model looks very nice Julian. Especially when it's combined with the Tatooine Luke PGM edition (now, those were the days, when it actually was worth, to be a PGM-member. Special busts, that got exclusively made for PGM-members!). Looking forward to see the weathered version!
Hey Peter, I finished working on the weathering of the T-16. Now keep in mind I've taken some artistic liberties here, and it is not exactly how it appears on the films but more how I envision it to be, dirty and weathered. I just like that lived in look much of Star Wars has. I don't have time to post now detailed pictures, so I'll just post a comparison image of the "before and after" of the model. Saturday or Sunday, depending on time I'll take detailed pictures of the model and show my attempt at weathering
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Wow, Julian! That's a big difference! And, as Joe already said, looking so much better!Hey Peter, I finished working on the weathering of the T-16. Now keep in mind I've taken some artistic liberties here, and it is not exactly how it appears on the films but more how I envision it to be, dirty and weathered. I just like that lived in look much of Star Wars has. I don't have time to post now detailed pictures, so I'll just post a comparison image of the "before and after" of the model. Saturday or Sunday, depending on time I'll take detailed pictures of the model and show my attempt at weathering
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You've done a great job weathering it (and one day, I'm going to ask you, how you did it, because you inspired me, to get this model too!). On the brink of having my summer vacation at the moment. And, after going on a holiday with the family, I hope to finally setup my collection (it's taking too long for my taste, but family matters always come first). I'll keep you posted!
Thanks, Joe.
Wow, Julian! That's a big difference! And, as Joe already said, looking so much better!
Thank you, Peter. Weathering is not that difficult after a few practices. I did this before a couple of years ago with the Kotobukiya 1/7 scale Sandtroopers because to be honest, I never liked the original factory splashy weathering on their armors. Basically, after masking some areas of the ship, like the windows, red and yellow accents and decals, I darken the overall color of the ship with very light gray color spray paint, added a few paint washes where I thinned the paint to a very clear consistency to make it flow well into nooks and crannies ( I used a mixture of black and brown paints, reds and blues in some areas). I also pinwash some small details and panel lines with a fine brush. I kept cotton swabs handy to soak up and remove any unwanted wash. I did a little bit of light sanding to remove some of the red paint on the fin. It's a slow process, and by no means would I consider myself an ace at it. I just go with what I'm feeling and remove what I don't like. There are some areas I wish I would have done a bit better, but again I'm no expert and this was more of quick job to ease my mind for a few hours after all the stress I've went through this last month with my wife's surgery and recovery which by the way, she's still going through. So, here are the pictures of my humble attempt at weathering the T-16 and trying to accomplish the image I had in mind.
Note: There a some decals the original movie model had that are sold on Etsy which I need to get, so those are missing.
It looks great, LS!
Beautiful work, Julian! And thank you for explaining, on how you did this! I hope the weathering helped you to distract your mind a little, from the health situation of your wife during that time... How is she doing at the moment? Wishing her, and you all the best!Thanks, Joe.
Thank you, Peter. Weathering is not that difficult after a few practices. I did this before a couple of years ago with the Kotobukiya 1/7 scale Sandtroopers because to be honest, I never liked the original factory splashy weathering on their armors. Basically, after masking some areas of the ship, like the windows, red and yellow accents and decals, I darken the overall color of the ship with very light gray color spray paint, added a few paint washes where I thinned the paint to a very clear consistency to make it flow well into nooks and crannies ( I used a mixture of black and brown paints, reds and blues in some areas). I also pinwash some small details and panel lines with a fine brush. I kept cotton swabs handy to soak up and remove any unwanted wash. I did a little bit of light sanding to remove some of the red paint on the fin. It's a slow process, and by no means would I consider myself an ace at it. I just go with what I'm feeling and remove what I don't like. There are some areas I wish I would have done a bit better, but again I'm no expert and this was more of quick job to ease my mind for a few hours after all the stress I've went through this last month with my wife's surgery and recovery which by the way, she's still going through. So, here are the pictures of my humble attempt at weathering the T-16 and trying to accomplish the image I had in mind.
Note: There a some decals the original movie model had that are sold on Etsy which I need to get, so those are missing.
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Thank you very much, Peter. Having a few hours to walk away from all that's been going on sure helped, yes. My wife is doing much better. She's got no complications with the surgery, no pain, just a little discomfort, still cannot pick up anything that would weigh more than 10 lbs, but she's recovering quite well, already driving and ... cooking! which to be honest is a relief
She will also be able to start working again mid next month. Thank you for asking.
Great news, to read, your wife is having a speedy recovery, Julian! Guess that means no more tv-dinners for you, then!Thank you very much, Peter. Having a few hours to walk away from all that's been going on sure helped, yes. My wife is doing much better. She's got no complications with the surgery, no pain, just a little discomfort, still cannot pick up anything that would weigh more than 10 lbs, but she's recovering quite well, already driving and ... cooking! which to be honest is a relief
But seriously, my friend, I'm very happy to read about her progress. The Force is with your wife, for sure!
Hey LS, are you O.K? We haven't seen you around in a while.
A great one has left us. May you rest in peace, Mr. Jones. Although your candle has burnt out, your legend never will.
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader, died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y., his rep confirmed to Variety. He was 93.
After overcoming a profound stutter as a child, Jones established himself as one of the pioneering Black actors of his generation, amassing a bountiful and versatile career spanning over 60 years, from his debut on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre — renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 — to his most recent performance in 2021’s “Coming 2 America.” For that film, Jones reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” — one of several roles, along with Darth Vader, that Jones revisited, including the voice of King Mustafa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King” in 1994, the 1998 direct-to-video sequel and the 2019 remake, and CIA deputy director Vice Admiral James Greer in three Jack Ryan movies, 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” 1992’s “Patriot Games” and 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger.”
Among his more than 80 film credits, Jones’ other notable movies include as a B-52 bombardier in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 Cold War satire “Dr. Strangelove” (his feature film debut), as the first Black president of the United States in 1972’s “The Man,” as the fearsome villain in 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian,” as a reclusive author in 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” as a blind former baseball star in 1993’s “The Sandlot,” and as a minister living in apartheid South Africa in 1995’s “Cry, the Beloved Country.”
Jones was nominated for four Tony Awards, and won two, in 1969 for playing boxer Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope” (which he reprised on film in 1970, receiving his only Oscar nomination), and in 1987 for originating the role of Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Fences.” He was nominated for eight primetime Emmy awards, winning twice in 1991, for supporting actor in the miniseries “Heat Wave,” about the 1965 Watts riots, and for lead actor in the drama series “Gabriel’s Fire,” about a wrongfully imprisoned ex-cop who becomes a private detective. It was the first time an actor won two Emmys in the same year.
Jones earned a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award in 2009, an honorary Oscar in 2011 and a lifetime achievement Tony Award in 2017. His Grammy award in 1977 for spoken word album makes Jones only one a handful of actors to receive an EGOT.
Jones’ looming yet ultimately affable presence and rich speaking voice made him a natural for Shakespeare, and he played some of the great roles, such as Macbeth and Othello, for Joseph Papp’s American Shakespeare Festival. Jones narrated several documentaries, from 1972’s “Malcom X” to the 2007 Disneynature doc “Earth,” and, famously, he intoned the tagline “This is CNN” for the cable news channel.
His television credits, which number over 70, including many movies and miniseries such as “Roots” and “The Atlanta Child Murders,” recurring roles on “L.A. Law,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Everwood,” and guest roles on shows like “The Simpsons,” “Picket Fences,” “Law & Order,” “Frasier” and “House.”
As for his most famous role, Jones was paid $7,000 to lend his voice to Darth Vader in 1977’s “Star Wars: A New Hope,” but he declined screen credit for that film and its sequel, 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” out of deference to the actor who played the role on screen, David Prowse. By 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” however, Jones had become fully synonymous with one of the most memorable and terrifying villains in cinema history, and received credit for his work. He returned to lend Vader’s voice again for 2005’s “Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” but for the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Jones instead authorized Lucasfilm to use archival recordings and AI technology to recreate Vader’s voice.
When asked in 2014 by the New York Times about how he’d kept his career alive for so long, Jones’ response evoked the kind of plainspoken humility that he had so often brought to his performances as well.
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” Jones said. “I still consider myself a novice.”
James Earl Jones was born in 1931 on a farm in in Arkabutla, Miss. His father, Robert Earl Jones, left home soon after to pursue his own acting career (the two more-or-less reconciled when the younger Jones was in his 20s, and they even performed together). When Jones was 5, he moved with his maternal grandparents to Michigan. The shock of the relocation induced a stammer so severe that he often could communicate only in writing. It wasn’t until high school when he started to overcome his stutter, when his English teacher, upon learning that Jones composed poetry, encouraged him to read his writing aloud in class.
As an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, Jones initially set out to study medicine, but wound up more interested in drama. His first stage role was a small part in the 1957 Off Broadway production “Wedding in Japan.” He took side jobs to supplement occasional theater work in Broadway’s “Sunrise at Campobello,” “The Cool World” and “The Pretender.” He also appeared in summer stock.
In 1960, Jones joined Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival. The following year he made his first serious impact in a landmark Off Broadway production of Jean Genet’s “The Blacks” as the protagonist Deodatus. Afterwards, for Papp, he played Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the first of many heralded Shakespearean turns. His masterful 1964 performance as Othello for Papp was moved Off Broadway, where the production ran for almost a year.
Jones’ first big break into cinema came by way of Papp’s production of “The Merchant of Venice,” in which Jones played the Prince of Morocco to George C. Scott’s Shylock. When Stanley Kubrick came to see Scott, whom he was considering for one of the leads in “Dr. Strangelove,” the film director was so impressed that he cast Jones in the film, too. In 1966, Jones had the title role in “Macbeth” at the New York Shakespeare Festival, again to great acclaim. He also booked a recurring role on “As the World Turns” in 1966, marking the first time a Black actor had a continuing role on a daytime soap opera
Still, he was almost one of Broadway’s best-kept secrets until 1968, in Howard Sackler’s “The Great White Hope” as Jack Johnson, the first Black man to win the world heavyweight boxing championship. The Tony, the acclaim and its timing in the late ’60s propelled Jones into the spotlight at a time when it was difficult for Black actors to secure quality roles. But the actor, however, has said that the accolades he received for for both the play and its film adaptation did not do that much for his career.
It wasn’t until 1977, when Jones’ voice terrified audiences for the first time as Darth Vader, that things truly began to shift for him. That same year, Jones also appeared in ABC’s “Roots” playing the author Alex Haley, whose genealogical novel of the same title inspired the groundbreaking miniseries. He never quite became an outright star in the classic sense of the word, but the back-to-back successes that year did ultimately make Jones a household name, whose presence connoted a stature and gravitas to projects that might otherwise be lacking.
Theatre is where Jones most frequently was a box office draw in his own right — and well into his 80s. He returned to Broadway in 2005 for a production of “On Golden Pond” opposite Leslie Uggams, drawing another Tony nomination. In 2008, he played Big Daddy in a production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” that featured an all-Black cast including Terrence Howard, Anika Noni Rose and Phylicia Rashad.
Two years later, he returned to Broadway in a revival of “Driving Miss Daisy” opposite Vanessa Redgrave; the production’s move to London in 2011 meant he had to miss the Honorary Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. Instead, Sir Ben Kingsley surprised Jones with his statuette in person after he’d concluded a matinee performance of the show.
Jones was first married to actress-singer Julienne Marie. His second wife of 34 years, actress Cecilia Hart, died in 2016. He is survived his son, Flynn Earl Jones.
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader, died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y., his rep confirmed to Variety. He was 93.
After overcoming a profound stutter as a child, Jones established himself as one of the pioneering Black actors of his generation, amassing a bountiful and versatile career spanning over 60 years, from his debut on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre — renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 — to his most recent performance in 2021’s “Coming 2 America.” For that film, Jones reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” — one of several roles, along with Darth Vader, that Jones revisited, including the voice of King Mustafa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King” in 1994, the 1998 direct-to-video sequel and the 2019 remake, and CIA deputy director Vice Admiral James Greer in three Jack Ryan movies, 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” 1992’s “Patriot Games” and 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger.”
Among his more than 80 film credits, Jones’ other notable movies include as a B-52 bombardier in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 Cold War satire “Dr. Strangelove” (his feature film debut), as the first Black president of the United States in 1972’s “The Man,” as the fearsome villain in 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian,” as a reclusive author in 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” as a blind former baseball star in 1993’s “The Sandlot,” and as a minister living in apartheid South Africa in 1995’s “Cry, the Beloved Country.”
Jones was nominated for four Tony Awards, and won two, in 1969 for playing boxer Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope” (which he reprised on film in 1970, receiving his only Oscar nomination), and in 1987 for originating the role of Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Fences.” He was nominated for eight primetime Emmy awards, winning twice in 1991, for supporting actor in the miniseries “Heat Wave,” about the 1965 Watts riots, and for lead actor in the drama series “Gabriel’s Fire,” about a wrongfully imprisoned ex-cop who becomes a private detective. It was the first time an actor won two Emmys in the same year.
Jones earned a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award in 2009, an honorary Oscar in 2011 and a lifetime achievement Tony Award in 2017. His Grammy award in 1977 for spoken word album makes Jones only one a handful of actors to receive an EGOT.
Jones’ looming yet ultimately affable presence and rich speaking voice made him a natural for Shakespeare, and he played some of the great roles, such as Macbeth and Othello, for Joseph Papp’s American Shakespeare Festival. Jones narrated several documentaries, from 1972’s “Malcom X” to the 2007 Disneynature doc “Earth,” and, famously, he intoned the tagline “This is CNN” for the cable news channel.
His television credits, which number over 70, including many movies and miniseries such as “Roots” and “The Atlanta Child Murders,” recurring roles on “L.A. Law,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Everwood,” and guest roles on shows like “The Simpsons,” “Picket Fences,” “Law & Order,” “Frasier” and “House.”
As for his most famous role, Jones was paid $7,000 to lend his voice to Darth Vader in 1977’s “Star Wars: A New Hope,” but he declined screen credit for that film and its sequel, 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” out of deference to the actor who played the role on screen, David Prowse. By 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” however, Jones had become fully synonymous with one of the most memorable and terrifying villains in cinema history, and received credit for his work. He returned to lend Vader’s voice again for 2005’s “Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” but for the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Jones instead authorized Lucasfilm to use archival recordings and AI technology to recreate Vader’s voice.
When asked in 2014 by the New York Times about how he’d kept his career alive for so long, Jones’ response evoked the kind of plainspoken humility that he had so often brought to his performances as well.
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” Jones said. “I still consider myself a novice.”
James Earl Jones was born in 1931 on a farm in in Arkabutla, Miss. His father, Robert Earl Jones, left home soon after to pursue his own acting career (the two more-or-less reconciled when the younger Jones was in his 20s, and they even performed together). When Jones was 5, he moved with his maternal grandparents to Michigan. The shock of the relocation induced a stammer so severe that he often could communicate only in writing. It wasn’t until high school when he started to overcome his stutter, when his English teacher, upon learning that Jones composed poetry, encouraged him to read his writing aloud in class.
As an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, Jones initially set out to study medicine, but wound up more interested in drama. His first stage role was a small part in the 1957 Off Broadway production “Wedding in Japan.” He took side jobs to supplement occasional theater work in Broadway’s “Sunrise at Campobello,” “The Cool World” and “The Pretender.” He also appeared in summer stock.
In 1960, Jones joined Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival. The following year he made his first serious impact in a landmark Off Broadway production of Jean Genet’s “The Blacks” as the protagonist Deodatus. Afterwards, for Papp, he played Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the first of many heralded Shakespearean turns. His masterful 1964 performance as Othello for Papp was moved Off Broadway, where the production ran for almost a year.
Jones’ first big break into cinema came by way of Papp’s production of “The Merchant of Venice,” in which Jones played the Prince of Morocco to George C. Scott’s Shylock. When Stanley Kubrick came to see Scott, whom he was considering for one of the leads in “Dr. Strangelove,” the film director was so impressed that he cast Jones in the film, too. In 1966, Jones had the title role in “Macbeth” at the New York Shakespeare Festival, again to great acclaim. He also booked a recurring role on “As the World Turns” in 1966, marking the first time a Black actor had a continuing role on a daytime soap opera
Still, he was almost one of Broadway’s best-kept secrets until 1968, in Howard Sackler’s “The Great White Hope” as Jack Johnson, the first Black man to win the world heavyweight boxing championship. The Tony, the acclaim and its timing in the late ’60s propelled Jones into the spotlight at a time when it was difficult for Black actors to secure quality roles. But the actor, however, has said that the accolades he received for for both the play and its film adaptation did not do that much for his career.
It wasn’t until 1977, when Jones’ voice terrified audiences for the first time as Darth Vader, that things truly began to shift for him. That same year, Jones also appeared in ABC’s “Roots” playing the author Alex Haley, whose genealogical novel of the same title inspired the groundbreaking miniseries. He never quite became an outright star in the classic sense of the word, but the back-to-back successes that year did ultimately make Jones a household name, whose presence connoted a stature and gravitas to projects that might otherwise be lacking.
Theatre is where Jones most frequently was a box office draw in his own right — and well into his 80s. He returned to Broadway in 2005 for a production of “On Golden Pond” opposite Leslie Uggams, drawing another Tony nomination. In 2008, he played Big Daddy in a production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” that featured an all-Black cast including Terrence Howard, Anika Noni Rose and Phylicia Rashad.
Two years later, he returned to Broadway in a revival of “Driving Miss Daisy” opposite Vanessa Redgrave; the production’s move to London in 2011 meant he had to miss the Honorary Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. Instead, Sir Ben Kingsley surprised Jones with his statuette in person after he’d concluded a matinee performance of the show.
Jones was first married to actress-singer Julienne Marie. His second wife of 34 years, actress Cecilia Hart, died in 2016. He is survived his son, Flynn Earl Jones.
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Was lucky enough to catch him in Driving Miss Daisy on B'way. Sitting three rows from the stage, it was a wonderful experience.
RIP, Mr Jones.
RIP, Mr Jones.
I can only imagine, Ben. What a great experience!
Reading all this, you can only have deep respect for this man, Julian. What an impressive carreer, he's had, and what a great actor he was. But, we Star Wars fans, will forever remember him, for giving one of the most iconic villains in movie history, his remarkable voice! R.I.P. Mr. James Earl Jones!
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Indeed. A very iconic and likeable actor that could play any type of role from comedic to dramatic. I really like the episode from The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon meets Mr. Jones
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One of the few SW autos that I missed out on that I was always holding out hope for a chance at a send in. He will be missed. Thankfully he left behind a great body of work for all of us to look back on. I watched Field of Dreams last night, Dr. Strangelove is tonight. Later this week will be Conan, The Sandlot, Sneakers, Soul Man and Coming to America.
That was indeed a great Episode, Julian! Where we got to see two iconic Star Wars actors in action!Indeed. A very iconic and likeable actor that could play any type of role from comedic to dramatic. I really like the episode from The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon meets Mr. Jones
A great way to remember him, disgruntled jawa!
