Story by Josh Rodgers, AfroTech | The “Circle of Life” takes on new meaning now that James Earl Jones, the legendary actor and voice of “The Lion King’s” Mufasa, has passed away at the age of 93. Jones, a Mississippi native who later moved to Michigan, faced early childhood trauma that led to a stutter and several years of not speaking, based on a CNN profile.
“I was mute from grade one through freshman year in high school — mute because I just gave up on talking,” the actor explained in a 1986 interview with KCRA-3. “I can’t cut it. You’re mute that long, you become very curious about expressing yourself.”
His interest in self-expression, shaped by his early challenges, would lead to a voice that resonated across the globe. Jones’ voice became one of Hollywood’s most iconic and recognizable, a gift to the entertainment industry that reverberated for decades.
The deep baritone-voiced star would go on to hone his craft at the University of Michigan in the early 1950s. However, after failing a pre-med exam, he switched to drama and played four seasons of basketball. He then served in the Army from 1953 to 1955, via Fortune.
After Jones’ short stint in the armed forces, he moved to New York and stayed with his father, joining the American Theater Wing’s program for aspiring actors. The duo worked together waxing floors to make ends meet while pursuing their acting careers.
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By the mid-’70s, Jones was already a household name, consistently securing roles in both film and TV, most notably known for voicing Darth Vader in “Star Wars.”
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According to Forbes, Jones worked to ensure that Darth Vader’s iconic timbre would live on beyond him. After his original role in Star Wars, he voiced the character in every subsequent film. However, he retired from that spot in 2019.
In 2022, Jones officially signed over the rights to Lucasfilm, allowing the studio to recreate his iconic voice using artificial intelligence. As reported by Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm wanted to keep Darth Vader’s legendary voice consistent with the original sound from the early Star Wars films. To make it happen, they teamed up with Respeecher, a Ukrainian tech company, using AI to recreate the iconic voice.
By leveraging James Earl Jones’ past performances, they trained the speech model to capture his unique tone. Jones gave the green light to use his archives for the project.
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He is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT title, earning two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award. In 2011, he was recognized with an Academy Honorary Award for his “legacy of consistent excellence and uncommon versatility.” By 2019, his contributions were further recognized when he was inducted as a Disney Legend at the D23 Expo.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/before-his-passing-james-earl-jones-handed-over-the-rights-to-recreate-his-voice-to-ai-to-ensure-it-endured-for-future-generations/
Octavia Spencer: I’m incredibly saddened to learn of #JamesEarlJones’ passing today. Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever. His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away.
Photo: James Earl Jones (RIP meme)