James Earl Jones was an accomplished actor of stage and screen, but he will perhaps be best known for his voice roles.
His passing has reminded fans of all his incredible characters over the years, where his voice was the star of the show.
From the iconic Darth Vader to the most important Disney King, James’ baritone voice was not only instantly recognisable, but also extremely powerful.
Still, there are some roles fans may be surprised to learn about that James has taken on as a voice actor. In fact, he’s also done quite a bit of work on TV that some people have completely forgotten about.
Like one ad that remains iconic to this day.
James Earl Jones’ most iconic voice roles
In 1977, the world was introduced to Darth Vader, the villainous Sith Lord who repeatedly clashed against Jedis in the Star Wars franchise.
Though James never wore the black metal suit himself, he voiced perhaps the most famous movie villain of all time in over a dozen Star Wars projects.
He played the role in the original trilogy, New Hope, Empire Strikes Back And Return of the Jedi. Hayden Christensen reprised the voice of Darth when he transitioned from Anakin to Vader in Revenge of the Sith.
But James didn’t stop there. He went on to play the role in the film two more times. Rogue One And in the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. In addition, he lent his voice to TV projects such as Star Wars: Rebels And Obi-Wan KenobiHe can even be heard on the Star Tours attractions at Disney parks around the world.
the one true king
But Darth Vader isn’t the only Disney-owned character James has voiced. In 1994, he lent his voice to the role of Mufasa in the Oscar-nominated film, The Lion King.
And just like Vader, James was happy to return to the role whenever the studio needed him. He returned as Mufasa in straight-to-TV movies such as The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar And The Lion King II: Simba’s PrideAdditionally, he can be heard at another Disney Parks attraction, this time at Epcot in Orlando in a show called ‘Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable.’
But most notably, he was the only member of the original cast who returned for the live-action/CGI remake. The Lion King In 2019.
It remains to be seen if he will appear in the upcoming prequel Mufasa: The Lion KingHowever, he has not been included in the cast yet.
“This is CNN”
James Earl Jones’ voice roles extended beyond the big screen.
Cable news viewers will always remember him as the voice of CNN. For decades, he lent his voice to CNN’s tagline, “This is CNN,” which includes a dramatic pause after “This is…”.
A CNN spokesperson said in a statement after his death that Jones “was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying immediate authority, grace and courtesy through his speech.”
“That remarkable voice is just one of the many things the world will miss about James,” the statement added.
But is James Earl Jones also the voice of Arbie?
Every generation will remember James for his voice roles. And despite being one of the most recognizable voices of all time, there’s still some mystery about his resume.
For example: For years, fans have believed that James Earl Jones was the voice of the Arby’s commercials, and as the narrator proudly announcing “we have meat”.
Although their voices are similar, Ving Rhames has been the voice of Arby’s commercials since 2014.
If you need proof, check out this commercial from April 2024. Rams first appeared on camera in an Arby’s Free Sandwich Month commercial.
But don’t worry, James has also done dozens of other voice roles that you might not remember!
James Earl Jones Lesser Known Voice Roles
Simpsons fans will remember that James has appeared in several Halloween specials over the years. Most notably, she voiced the alternate universe Maggie in “Treehouse of Horror V.”
He provided the voice of the narrator in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played Diablo in an episode of Garfield in the ’90s, and played the Giant in the 2009 film Jack and the Beanstalk.
But speaking of Disney, legend has it that he also provided the voice of the statue god Mara in the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye attraction at Disneyland until 2013. The voice was later changed, but many fans still believe it is James’s, with some changes.