James Earl Jones Bio, Age, Parents, Education, Career, Spouse

James Earl Jones's Net Worth as of December 2024 is $50 Million

Quick Facts of James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones is an American actor who was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi. He is a gifted actor who has been in the business for over seven decades. He began his acting career as a stage carpenter at Michigan’s Ramsdell Theatre.  In 1962, he made his first TV show appearance as himself on “Lamp Unto My Feet”.

He also made his theatrical film debut as Lt. Lothar Zogg in “Dr. Strangelove or” in 1964. He rose to prominence as the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” as well as winning the Tony and Golden Globe awards for The Great White Hope. He also provided his voice in the famous movie “The Lion King” as Mufasa. Jones also reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer in “Coming 2 America” (2021), the sequel to “Coming to America” (1988).

James Earl Jones’s Bio, Age, Parents, Education

James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arikabutla, Mississippi, to Ruth Earl Jones; (1911-1986), a teacher and maid, and his father, Robert Earl Jones (1910-2006), a boxer, butler, and chauffeur. His parents both belonged to African-American, Irish, and Native American ancestry. He, tho, holds American citizenship. His father didn’t stay long with his family, as he left the family shortly after James Earl Jones was born. He also has a half-brother named Matthew Earl Jones.

Later, intending to do something he enjoyed, he focused on the drama at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He had previously assumed that he would be called up to fight in the Korean War. In 1995, after four years at the college, he graduated from the university.

James Earl Jones’s Height

James Earl Jones has a height of 6 ft 1.5 in. and a bodyweight of 85 kg. He has gray hair (as he’s getting older day by day) and blue-colored eyes. He has an average body type with a 32-26-32 inch body measurement. After nearly 20 years, in 2016, for the first time, Jones spoke publicly about his long-term health challenge with type 2 diabetes. He was diagnosed with it in the mid-1990s after he was found asleep while exercising at the gym by his doctor.

James Earl Jones’s Career

James Earl Jones worked as a part-time stage crew hand at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan. He was commissioned after the Korean War’s end and reported to Fort Benning to attend the Infantry Officer Basic Course. Before his discharge, Jones was assigned to Headquarters Company, 38th Regimental Combat Team, and was promoted to the First lieutenant.

Later he moved to New York, where he studied at the American Theatre Wing and worked as a janitor to support himself. James kicked off his acting career at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan in 1955. He also appeared in the ABC radio anthology series “Theatre-Five”.In 1957, he made his Broadway debut as an understudy to Lloyd Richards in the short-lived play “The Egghead” by Molly Kazan.

His film debut was in Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” in 1964 as the young Lt.Lothar Zog. He also participated in making test films for the children’s education series “Sesame Street” in 1969 . He debuted in his iconic voiceover role as Darth Vader in the science fiction blockbuster film “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977 and appeared on the short-lived CBS police drama “Paris” in 1979.

Jones featured in several other box office hits of the 1980s: the action/fantasy film “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Coming to America” (1988), “Field of Dreams” (1989), “Matewan” (1987). He narrated all 27 books of the New Testament in the audiobook “James Earl Jones Reads the Bible” and returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry’s “Driving Miss Daisy” in October 2010.

James Earl Jones’s Wife

James Earl Jones married Julienne Marie in 1968, whom he met while performing as Othello in 1964. They didn’t have any children and divorced in 1972. He then married actress Cecilia Hart in 1982, with whom he had one child, son Flynn (born 1982). Hart sadly passed from ovarian cancer on 16th October 2016.

James Earl Jones’s Awards

Throughout his career, Jones received numerous honors. He won a Tony Award for his performance in “The Great White Hope.” He received an Emmy Award for his work on “Gabriel’s Fire.” He received a Grammy Award for his work on “Great American Documents.” He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in “The Great White Hope.”

James Earl Jones’s Networth

As of 2022, Jones has a net worth of $50 million. He also earns a huge amount of salary estimated at around $7.28 million per year. James gains a handsome amount of money from endorsement work for brands such as Bell Atlantic, Verizon, Sprint. Still, his major source of income is from his acting career.

Social Media: Twitter

A gifted American actor who has been for over seven decades in the acting industry is not so active on social media. He only has a Twitter account with 44.8k followers. He hasn’t yet created his Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.