I know everyone is talking about how he voiced Vader, but when I think of him, I think of Strangelove and Hunt for Red October. I didn't spend a lot of time in the fleet, but what I did was rather boring and/or annoying; the idea that something exciting would happen in the CIC is probably why I often think of the line "Now, understand, Commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct. You heard it hit the hull. And I was never here."
James Earl Jones has died
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Re: James Earl Jones has died
#12Star Wars was relentlessly changed by George Lucas - for the worse in my opinion.
Star Wars should have been changed to give James Earl Jones starring billing, instead of no credit at all.
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#13A slightly less cliche fact about James Earl Jones: his film debut was Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove , where he plays the bombardier on the B-52[1]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSbPqin3L6E
"Hey, what about Major Kong?"
a great movie with absolutely wholly innocent characters unknowingly contributing their own parts to the apocalypse -- I think about that a lot conceptually.
Even the motivations of Gen. Ripper are 'innocent' -- he just happens to have become a delusional psychotic.
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#14I know everyone is talking about how he voiced Vader, but when I think of him, I think of Strangelove and Hunt for Red October. I didn't spend a lot of time in the fleet, but what I did was rather boring and/or annoying; the idea that something exciting would happen in the CIC is probably why I often think of the line "Now, understand, Commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct. You heard it hit the hull. And I wa…
When Jack hands him the photos of Red October: "Jesus that's a big sucker."
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#15To me he'll always be the "This is CNN" voice
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#16Star Wars was relentlessly changed by George Lucas - for the worse in my opinion. Star Wars should have been changed to give James Earl Jones starring billing, instead of no credit at all.
That was his choice out of respect for Prowse.
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#17For me he will always be Thulsa Doom from Conan the Barbarian. You need to watch that movie if you haven't already.
I totally agree. He played a sadist, and the irony of this movie is that he rarely makes use of what people admire the most: his infamous voice. True uber-alpha in this movie, fantastic performance.
RIP!
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#18To me he'll always be the "This is CNN" voice
Or “Bell Atlantic”
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#19I know everyone is talking about how he voiced Vader, but when I think of him, I think of Strangelove and Hunt for Red October. I didn't spend a lot of time in the fleet, but what I did was rather boring and/or annoying; the idea that something exciting would happen in the CIC is probably why I often think of the line "Now, understand, Commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct. You heard it hit the hull. And I wa…
Just read on his Wikipedia page that he made it through Ranger school in the Korean War era. That's an accomplishment. Several readers here will know that's not really an easy thing to do. Overcame stuttering as a kid. Went to Ranger school (as an African American in the 50s.) Performed Shakespeare and contemporary plays and worked in film. A true dude. Lifting one in his honor this evening (though I'm old enough that it has to be a non-alcoholic one.)
Re: James Earl Jones has died
#20Such an iconic voice. And the fact he got to put voice to so many iconic lines that are hard to imagine coming from anyone else. His speech in Field of Dreams, obviously Vader's "I am your father". Basically all of his lines as Mufasa in Lion King.
I just can't think of any voice from the newer generations of actors/VAs that stands up to what he brought. And while his voice was incredible, he clearly mastered it and gave his lines the maximum impact they could have beyond the simple utterance.