Biography
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen, and "one of the greatest actors in American history". Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Scr...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Mufasa: The Lion King
2024
In Memory Of
Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journ...

BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy
2024
as Self (archive footage)
Tribute special featuring archival footage and never-before-seen interviews with the award-winning actor at various stages of his illustrious and pion...

Butterfly in the Sky
2024
as Guest Narrator (archive footage)
Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or ‘90s exclaiming “Reading Rainbow!” Such is the beloved ...

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show in television history. From the iconic furry characters...

Coming 2 America
2021
as King Jaffe Joffer
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street savvy Queens native name...

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019
as Darth Vader (voice)
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of gener...

On Broadway
2019
as Self (archive footage)
An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inc...

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
2019
as Self
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage is a warm and revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the...

The Lion King
2019
as Mufasa (voice)
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Sc...

The Space: Theatre of Survival
2019
as Narrator
When everything about you falls one man decides that theatre is the key, and the way to begin to unify a people. A film about the life and times of Th...

Words from a Bear
2019
as Self
A visual journey into the mind and soul of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Navarro Scott Momaday, relating each written line to his unique Native Americ...

Warning Shot
2018
as Pendleton
A single mother and her young daughter struggle to make ends meet until they inherit their family's farmhouse. When a business rival covets their wate...

Broadway: The Next Generation
2017
as Self
A look at the past, present and future of the Great White Way.

The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands
2017
as Mufasa (voice)
Rough, tough and roarin' to go, your favorite heroes are back for even more epic adventures! Join Kion and his fearless friends as they defend the Pri...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016
as Darth Vader (voice)
A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.

God Bless You, Mr Rosewater
2016
as Kilgore Trout
Follows Elliot Rosewater, heir of a massive fortune controlled by the Rosewater Foundation, as he deals with the guilt surrounding his wealth. At the ...

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
2016
as Mufasa (voice)
Set in the African savannah, the film follows Kion as he assembles the members of the 'Lion Guard'. Throughout the film, the diverse team of young ani...

Driving Miss Daisy
2015
as Hoke Colburn
Driving Miss Daisy tells the affecting story of the decades-long relationship between a stubborn Southern matriarch and her compassionate chauffeur. A...

Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
2015
as Darth Vader (voice)
The Inquisitor is dead. The Ghost crew has connected with other rebel cells. And a new ally named Ahsoka Tano has emerged. Despite these successes and...

August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand
2015
as Self
Unprecedented access to Wilson’s theatrical archives, rarely seen interviews and new dramatic readings bring to life his seminal 10-play cycle chronic...

Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
2014
as Darth Vader (voice)
It is a dark time. The Jedi are no more, and the Empire rules the galaxy with an iron fist -- bringing tyranny to the Outer Rim world of Lothal. Their...

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
2014
as Ruben
After learning that a brain aneurysm will kill him in about 90 minutes, a perpetually unhappy man struggles to come to terms with his fate and make am...

Gimme Shelter
2013
as Frank McCarthy
After running away from her abusive mother, a streetwise teen seeks refuge with her father, but he rejects her when he learns that she's pregnant.

Muse of Fire
2013
as Self
Funny, passionate, exciting, and smart: ‘Muse Of Fire’ will change the way you feel about Shakespeare forever. This unique feature documentary follow...

Blackfish
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes...

Milius
2013
as Self
The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.

An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road
2012
as Self
In the summer of 1968, a group of people assembled in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. They were making a film of John Barth's 1958 novel The End of t...

Joe Papp in Five Acts
2012
as Self
Joe Papp, the founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival and, subsequently, The Public Theater—arguably the most important theatre in North America—...

Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
2010
as Admiral (voice)
Dave, a young photon, who is forced out of the Sun on a journey of discovery. He must get to the Cassini Space Craft and save it from the forces of th...

Jack and the Beanstalk
2009
as The Giant (voice)
A fairy tale character who is about to flunk out of fairy tale school, Jack must perform a heroic deed by Monday or fail miserably, just like his fath...

Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009
as Self (archive footage)
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovat...

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
2008
as Papa Jenkins
When a celebrated TV show host returns to his hometown in the South, his family is there to remind him that going home is no vacation!

Earth
2007
as Narrator (voice)
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remar...
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
2007
as Self
A retrospective look at the career of Paul Robeson and his legacy as both an American and a citizen of the world.

John, Paul, George and Ben
2007
as Narrator
This humorous and factual history of five lads who grew up to become Founding Fathers brings the early days of American history to life with sass and ...

Searching for Orson
2006
as Self
Narrated by Peter Bogdanovich, this biography of Orson Welles includes the emotional memoirs of actress Oja Kodar and interviews with Steven Spielberg...

Click
2006
as Narrator of Michael's Past (voice) (uncredited)
A married workaholic, Michael Newman doesn't have time for his wife and children, not if he's to impress his ungrateful boss and earn a well-deserved ...

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
2006
as Jack Jefferson (segment "The Great White Hope") / Troy Maxson (segment "Fences")
The Great White Way comes into your living room via this disc of rare performances from some of Broadway's brightest luminaries. Culled from clips fro...

Scary Movie 4
2006
as Narrator (uncredited)
Cindy finds out the house she lives in is haunted by a little boy and goes on a quest to find out who killed him and why. Also, Alien "Tr-iPods" are i...

The Benchwarmers
2006
as Darth Vader (voice)
A trio of guys try and make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against standard little league...

Hollywood's Greatest Villains
2005
as Self
Hollywood's Greatest Villains

The Sandlot 2
2005
as Mr. Mertle
A decade has passed in the small town where the original Sandlot gang banded together during the summer of ’62 to play baseball and battle the Beast. ...

The Reading Room
2005
as William
Making good on a promise he made to his dying wife, a widower (Jones) opens a reading room, a place where people can learn to read. Despite his goodwi...

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005
as Darth Vader (voice - uncredited)
The evil Darth Sidious enacts his final plan for unlimited power – and the heroic Jedi Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

Robots
2005
as Voice Box at Hardware Store (voice)
Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place, until the evil Ratchet takes over Bigweld Industries. Now...

By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
2005
as Narrator
A short documentary about the making of Spike Lee's biopic, "Malcolm X."

No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
2004
as Self
A documentary exploring the historical concept of the narrative of Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film "Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and...

Nine Dog Christmas
2004
as Storyteller (voice)
Animated tale about Santa's reindeer, who have come down with the North Pole flu. Nearsighted elf leader Buzz thinks he's found the perfect replacemen...

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
2004
as Self
From the earliest versions of the script to the blockbuster debuts, explore the creation of the Star Wars Trilogy.

The Story of Star Wars
2004
as Darth Vader (archive footage)
The Skywalker family is at the heart of the Star Wars saga. Now hear the inside story of Luke and Anakin Skywalker from the characters who witnessed i...
Black Indians: An American Story
2004
as Narrator
James Earl Jones narrates this examination of the historical relationship between American Indians and African-Americans, who often merged their cultu...

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
2003
as Maggie Simpson (voice)
Includes the following episodes from the Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V, Treehouse of Horror VI, Treehouse of Horror VII, and Treehouse of Horror XII...

The Great Year
2003
as Narrator
The Great Year is a compelling documentary that explores the possibility that the fall of ancient civilizations around the globe, and the rise of mode...

Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'The Hunt for Red October'
2003
as Self
This program features the standard mix of movie clips, production materials, and interviews. Cast and crew start at the beginning and discussed the ac...

Fredericksburg: A Documentary Film
2002
as Narrator
An action-packed, full hour documentary, filmed on the actual battlefield.

Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World
2001
as Self
"This is a kid who just said it. I'm the greatest - and he said it with poetry. And I don't mean just the poems that he wrote but with the poetic ener...

Feast of All Saints
2001
as Older Marcel
Set in nineteenth-century New Orleans, the story depicts the gens de couleur libre, or the Free People of Colour, a dazzling yet damned class caught b...

Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street
2001
as Mister (voice)
Principal Prickly gets his car stuck in a snowbank and decides it has to be the Recess gang's fault, but the teachers look back and remember all the g...

Finder's Fee
2001
as Avery Phillips
Friends Tepper, Quigley, Fishman, and Bolan get together for a weekly poker night with two simple rules: Everyone contributes a lottery ticket to the ...

Disney's American Legends
2001
as Narrator
Meet the doers and dreamers who made America great -- including John Henry, the railroad builder who proved the value of believing in oneself. Journey...

Antietam: A Documentary Film
2000
as Narrator
Re-enactments illustrate the details of the three principle stages of the battle of Antietam, fought November 17th, 1862. Also features animated tacti...

Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
2000
as Self
Nearly all the cast and crew are on hand to give stories and memories about the making of the film. Plenty of detail on every aspect of the film from ...

Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'
2000
as Self - 'Lieutenant Lothar Zogg'
A documentary on the making of Stanley Kubrick's classic 1964 film.

Summer's End
2000
as Dr. William 'Bill' Blakely
12-year-old boy and his older brother have just lost their dad. At their summer cottage, the younger boy befriends a black doctor who has to deal with...

The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove
2000
as Self
A documentary about the making of Stanley Kubricks 1964 film Dr Strangelove Or: How I Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and his career leading up to thi...

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light
2000
Actor/director Sidney Poitier discusses his life and career. He tells of his upbringing in Jamaica; the difficulties he encountered in New York City a...

Fantasia 2000
2000
as Self - Host
Blending lively music and brilliant animation, this sequel to the original 'Fantasia' restores 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and adds seven new shorts.

Santa and Pete
1999
as James Earl Jones
This warmhearted Yuletide tale tells the story of Grandpa Nichols (James Earl Jones) who is spending his first Christmas alone as a widower. His grand...

The Annihilation of Fish
1999
as Fish
A Jamaican widower recently released from a mental institution and a former housewife with an imagined lover in the form of 19th-century composer Giac...

Undercover Angel
1999
as The Judge
With his landlord breathing down his neck and his writing career stagnant, the last thing Harrison Tyler (Dean Winters) needs is a kid hanging around....

On the Q.T.
1999
as Leo
A struggling violin player has his morals tested after he meets a wise musician while playing in the subway who introduces him to the music world in N...

Our Friend, Martin
1999
as Daddy King (voice)
Two teens are sent back in time to meet Martin Luther King Jr. at several points during his life.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
1998
as Mufasa (voice)
The circle of life continues for Simba, now fully grown and in his rightful place as the king of Pride Rock. Simba and Nala have given birth to a daug...

Primary Colors
1998
as CNN Voiceover (voice)
In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton is tapped to ...

Alone
1997
as Grey
John Webb is recently widowed and living alone on the farm he and his brother used to share. He rarely sees his daughters, Jacqueline and Grace Ann, a...

The Second Civil War
1997
as Jim Kalla
When a planeload of Pakistani orphans are shipped to his state for permanent relocation, the governor of Idaho defies the president and closes the sta...

What the Deaf Man Heard
1997
as Archibald Thacker
In 1945, a young boy arrives in a small Georgia town on a bus from which his mother was abducted and murdered. Alone he sits quietly and everyone beco...

Gang Related
1997
as Arthur Baylor
Two corrupt cops have a successful, seemingly perfect money making scheme- they sell drugs that they seize from dealers, kill the dealers, and blame t...
Hitler's Forgotten Victims
1997
as Narrator (voice) (DVD version)
The story of black and mixed race people in Nazi Germany who were sterilised, experimented upon, tortured and exterminated in the Nazi concentration c...

Casper: A Spirited Beginning
1997
as Kibosh (voice)
Before he met and befriended the other ghouls at Applegate Manor, friendly ghost Casper meets young Chris Carson, a lonely kid who decides to teach Ca...
Sports on the Silver Screen
1997
as Self (archive footage)
HBO (in association with the American Film Institute) presents this 1997 anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which looks at sports in cinema from t...

Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997
as Self
Host Howie Long takes viewers on a tour of the "Star Wars" universe, as Fox TV celebrates the re-release of the original three legendary films in this...

Afro Promo
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Co-curated by Jenni Olson and the late Black gay activist Karl Knapper, this entertaining showcase of vintage movie trailers traces the evolution of A...

Timepiece
1996
as Lawrence
Set in the 1940's, James Earl Jones as an an old clockmaker faces racism and is tried for murder when the racist is killed. However, Kevin Kilner come...

Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
1996
as Dr. McDuffie
A dramatization of the life of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (Don Cheadle), with a lot of factual based occurrences. A reformed junkie returns from prison...

Looking for Richard
1996
as Self - Interviewee
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Ric...
Corwin
1996
as Self
Biography of Norman Corwin, the great writer, producer and director of the Golden Age of Radio. Actors in his radio plays included Orson Welles, Jimmy...

A Family Thing
1996
as Ray Murdock
Earl Pilcher Jr. runs an equipment rental outfit in Arkansas, lives with his wife and kids and parents, and rarely takes off his gimme cap. His mother...

Cry, the Beloved Country
1995
as Rev. Stephen Kumalo
A South-African preacher goes to search for his wayward son who has committed a crime in the big city.

Who's in Rabbit's House?
1995
as Narrator (voice)
Adapted from a Masai folktale about a rabbit who can't get into her house because the Long One, who "eats trees and tramples on elephants, " is hiding...

Judge Dredd
1995
as Narrator (uncredited)
In a dystopian future, Dredd, the most famous judge (a cop with instant field judiciary powers) is convicted for a crime he did not commit while his m...

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
as Self
Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and write...

The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
1995
as Host
This documentary treats film fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Jurassic Park," one of the 90's biggest hits and a milestone in specia...

Jefferson in Paris
1995
as Madison Hemings
His wife having recently died, Thomas Jefferson accepts the post of United States ambassador to pre-revolutionary France, though he finds it difficult...

People: A Musical Celebration
1995
as The Storyteller (voice)
In how many wonderful ways are we different from each other' What if the world were to rejoice in our differences' Cara and her lovable Grandfather (H...
Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'
1994
as Narrator
An abridged dramatic reading of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", performed live at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, and based on Dickens'...

Clear and Present Danger
1994
as Admiral James Greer
Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, ...

The Making of the Lion King
1994
as Self
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Lion King.

The Lion King
1994
as Mufasa (voice)
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his vill...

The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics
1994
as Host
James Earl Jones hosts this film based on two stories by the late Rod Serling, who wrote the stories of the original 'The Twilight Zone' (1959) series...

Clean Slate
1994
as John Dolby
Pogue is a private eye with a problem: every morning when he wakes up, he has total amnesia, waking up with a 'blank slate'. Since he is in the middle...

Africa: The Serengeti
1994
as Narrator
The equation of life on the Serengeti is simple: carnivores eat plants, herbivores eat carnivores. Africa: The Serengeti takes you on an extraordinar...

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
1994
as James Earl Jones (uncredited)
Frank Drebin is persuaded out of retirement to go undercover in a state prison. There he has to find out what top terrorist, Rocco, has planned for wh...

Gangs: Turning the Corner
1994
as Self
This 60 minute video captures in a dynamic format the people and programs that are successfully turning the corner on gangs. Stories and examples from...

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil
1994
as Charles Lloyd
Two men being questioned in a police station on Christmas Eve both confess to the murder of a cop. With both stories seeming plausible, an investigato...

The Vernon Johns Story
1994
as Vernon Johns
In 1948, Johns served as the outspoken spiritual leader of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Incensed at the racial injustice t...
Hallelujah
1993
as Old Man Taylor
Christmas at the Messiah Church in Washington D.C. A young preacher and, later in the day, a mysterious pregnant girl arrive at the church doors looki...

Dangerous: The Short Films
1993
as Self (voice) (uncredited)
Michael Jackson's Dangerous album once again rocketed the global superstar to mega-platinum success! "Dangerous - The Short Films" captures the visual...

Percy & Thunder
1993
as Percy Banks
A veteran trainer takes a promising fighter under his wing and lives his dreams through his protégé.

The Meteor Man
1993
as Earnest Moses
One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the informatio...

Dreamrider
1993
as Bill Perry
A young man loses his leg in a motorcycle accident. While rehabilitating, he takes up cycling. He becomes determined to become the first one-legged pe...

Excessive Force
1993
as Jake
Chicago policeman Terry McCain is determined to put away mobster Sal DiMarco, who always gets acquitted on technicalities. While monitoring a drug sal...

The Sandlot
1993
as Mr. Mertle
During a summer of friendship and adventure, one boy becomes a part of the gang, nine boys become a team and their leader becomes a legend by confront...

Sommersby
1993
as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By al...
Lincoln
1992
as Narrator (voice)
Famous actors read testimonies from people close to Lincoln about him and his actions during the Civil War.

Sneakers
1992
as Mr. Bernard Abbott
When shadowy U.S. intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker and his eccentric team of security experts into stealing a code-breaking 'b...

Patriot Games
1992
as Adm. James Greer
When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets Jack and his family as revenge.

True Identity
1991
as James Earl Jones
In order to escape from the mob, an African-American man must disguise himself as a white man.

When It Was a Game
1991
as (voice)
As seen through the eyes of true baseball enthusiasts, this award-winning documentary tells the story of America's favorite pastime from the Depressio...

Scorchers
1991
as Bear
Bayou La Teche, Louisiana sizzles as the Cajun town celebrates the wedding of Splendid and Dolan. The trouble comes on the wedding night when Splendid...
Portrait of Castro's Cuba
1991
as Host/Narrator
Host/narrator James Earl Jones explores the island of Cuba, introduces the viewer to the Cuban people and discusses the uncertainty of the country's f...

Visitors from the Unknown
1991
as Narrator (voice)
A look at the Travis Walton abduction

Convicts
1991
as Ben Johnson
In 1902, 13-year-old Horace toils on a run-down plantation in rural Texas to buy a tombstone for the father he lost a year earlier. Soll, the crusty o...

Grim Prairie Tales
1990
as Morrison
Two travelers meet on the open prairie, and pass their time together by trading stories with each other. Their tales become a sort of competition, eac...

Ivory Hunters
1990
as Inspector Nkuru
An author discovers that his missing research assistant's disappearance may be related to illegal trade in ivory tusks. He's then asked by the local i...

Heat Wave
1990
as Junius Johnson
A rookie black journalist investigates the tensions of the Watts section of Los Angeles in the bloody summer of 1965.
Last Flight Out
1990
as Al Topping
Fact based story set in Saigon in April, 1975 shortly after the US combat troops have withdrawn and immediately before the Communist forces over run t...

By Dawn's Early Light
1990
as Alice
A nuclear warhead launched by Soviet insurgents protesting the waning Cold War destroys the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The destruction sets off a race...

The Ambulance
1990
as Lt. Spencer
Josh meets a young woman who shortly afterwards collapses and is rushed to hospital in an ambulance. He follows after her only to find that there is n...

The Hunt for Red October
1990
as Vice ADM James Greer
A new technologically-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Ramius. The Ameri...

Teach 109
1990
as Dr. Winston
In the future, surgeons practice their skill on androids designed to imitate patients, but Dr. Garrett sees this as pointless since she cares little a...

Terrorgram
1990
as Retribution (voice)
Three horror stories linked by a sinister delivery boy. The stories are "Heroine Overdose", "Pandora" and "Veteran's Day".

11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried
1989
as Narrator
Moving documentary looks back on the remarkable life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and combines the tragedy of his untimely death with the rememberances ...

Best of the Best
1989
as Frank Couzo
A team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country--...

Golden Book Video - Beauty and the Beast
1989
as Narrator (voice)
"Beauty and the Beast" - In order to save her father's life, the gentle Beauty must live in a castle of the ugly Beast. Though the Beast is kind, and ...

Field of Dreams
1989
as Terrence Mann
Ray Kinsella is an Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice telling him to turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond. He does, but the voice's direct...

Three Fugitives
1989
as Dugan
On his first day after being released from jail for 14 armed bank robberies, Lucas finds himself caught up in someone else's robbery. Perry has decide...

The Hunting of the Snark
1989
as Narrator (voice)
Enter the imaginative world of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, in this animated adaptation of his classic The Hunting of the Snark. In t...

Stories to Remember: Noah's Ark
1989
as Narrator
Embark on one of the greatest adventures of all time--presented by one of the screen's most eloquent voices--as James Earl Jones narrates this beautif...

Coming to America
1988
as King Jaffe Joffer
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise...

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
1988
as Narrator (voice)
Music documentary directed by Patrick T. Kelly.

Matewan
1987
as 'Few Clothes' Johnson
Filmed in the coal country of West Virginia, "Matewan" celebrates labor organizing in the context of a 1920s work stoppage. Union organizer, Joe Keneh...

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night
1987
as Emperor of the Night (voice)
Pinocchio and his friends, a glow worm and a marionette, search for a magic music box, putting them in danger from the evil Scalawag and the Emperor o...

Gardens of Stone
1987
as Sgt. Maj.'Goody' Nelson
A sergeant; stationed in Arlington, Virginia in the late 1960s; must deal with his desires to save the lives of young soldiers being sent to Vietnam. ...
A House Divided
1987
A House Divided - Documentary about desegregation hosted by actor James Earl Jones. A House Divided explores the history of desegregation through the...

Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
1986
as Umslopogaas
After his brother Robeson disappears without a trace while exploring Africa in search of a legendary 'white tribe', Allan Quatermain decides to follow...

Soul Man
1986
as Professor Banks
A white prospective grad student's affluent family won't pay his way through law school, so he takes tanning pills to darken his skin in order to qual...

My Little Girl
1986
as Ike Bailey
A young girl agrees to work in a center for girls who can't stay with their parents. She gets wrapped up in the plights of several of the girls, and t...

Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
as Genie / Narrator
Based on the story "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp", directed by Tim Burton and starring Robert Carradine.

The Lone Star Kid
1986
as Holmes
The Lone Star Kid is about a compassionate eleven year old boy who becomes mayor of a small town when he witnesses an accident and a death due to lack...
Moses
1985
as Pharaoh
The trio become slaves in Egypt with the Israelites then witnesses the ten plagues and follow Moses through the parting of the Red Sea to freedom.

City Limits
1985
as Albert
A series of teenage gangs struggle against each other in a not-so-distant future. Eventually they unite against an evil corporation, as represented by...

Night of 100 Stars II
1985
as Self
This special is the second "Night of 100 Stars" to benefit The Actors Fund of America. Edited from a seven-hour live entertainment marathon that was t...

Visual Pathfinders: Robert Abel & Associates
1985
A retrospective of the work of Robert Abel and Associates, a pioneering commercial computer graphics company that created some of the most iconic earl...

The Vegas Strip War
1984
as Jack Madrid
Neil Chaine, a charming Las Vegas hotel/casino owner, tries to turn his decaying building into the Strip's top attraction to avenge his outing by his ...

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
1984
as Narrator
An adaptation of the book by Verna Aardema

Return of the Jedi
1983
as Darth Vader (voice)
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Emperor seeks to destroy the Rebellion onc...

Blood Tide
1982
as Frye
An adventurer hunting for treasure in Greece accidentally frees a monster that forces local villagers to sacrifice virgins.

Amy and the Angel
1982
as Gabriel
Amy, a depressed seventeen year old high school girl, is visited by her guardian angel Oliver after wishing she had never been born. Oliver shows Amy ...

The Flight of Dragons
1982
as Ommadon (voice)
The realm of magic is being threatened by the realm of logic, so Carolinus, the green wizard decides to shield it for all time. Ommadon, the evil red ...

Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Thulsa Doom
A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of ...

Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City ...
The Creation
1981
as Narrator (voice)
The film is based on a poem by James Weldon Johnson depicting the power of the southern black American preacher's telling of the biblical creation sto...

The Bushido Blade
1981
as The Prisoner
A steel samurai blade that was to be given to the American ambassador by the Emperor of Japan is stolen. American sailors and Japanese samurai are sen...

There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues
1981
as himself, voice
Chronicles the history of Negro Leagues baseball by using rare historical footage and interviews with black baseball greats.
Beauty and the Beast
1981
as Narrator (voice)

God's Trombones
1981
as Himself - Narrator (segment "The Creation")
A trilogy of African-American poems that applies artistic interpretation to religious parables. Narrated by James Earl Jones.

The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
1980
as Dane Oliver
This Olympics film, tied in with the planned 1980 games from which the United States subsequently withdrew, focuses on an American athlete whose dream...

The Empire Strikes Back
1980
as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Dar...

The Me Nobody Knows
1980
as Self
Complex, introspective children in low-income neighborhoods of New York City tell their stories.

A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979
as Self - Host
Sesame Street celebrated its 10th anniversary in the spring of 1979 with a half-hour PBS special hosted by James Earl Jones titled A Walking Tour of S...

Paul Robeson
1979
as Paul Robeson
Major events in the life of Robeson are recounted in this solo performance.

Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement
1978
as Self
This documentary explores the growth and development of black theatre from its earliest roots, also examining its close ties with the civil rights mov...

The Star Wars Holiday Special
1978
as Darth Vader (voice)
Luke Skywalker and Han Solo battle evil Imperial forces to help Chewbacca reach his imperiled family on the Wookiee planet - in time for Life Day, the...

The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened
1977
as Morris Bird, Jr.
Just before a championship basketball tournament, a teenage athlete learns that he has leukemia.

A Piece of the Action
1977
as Joshua Burke
How does retired cop Joshua Burke (James Earl Jones) get two career criminals, Manny Durrell (Sidney Poitier) and Dave Anderson (Bill Cosby), to follo...

The Making of Star Wars
1977
as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted...

Exorcist II: The Heretic
1977
as Older Kokumo
Bizarre nightmares plague Regan MacNeil four years after her possession and exorcism. Has the demon returned? And if so, can the combined faith and kn...

The Last Remake of Beau Geste
1977
as Sheikh
Digby Geste joins his brother, Beau, in the Foreign Legion following the theft of a priceless family heirloom.

Star Wars
1977
as Darth Vader (voice) (uncredited)
Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker an...

The Greatest
1977
as Malcolm X
Muhammad Ali's life story up to the late 1970s, which includes his Olympic boxing triumphs as Cassius Clay, his conversion to Islam, his refusal of th...

Swashbuckler
1976
as Nick Debrett
A pirate and a hot-tempered noblewoman join forces to protect Jamaica from a tyrant.

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
1976
as Leon
Top baseball pitcher Bingo Long is fed up with how his Negro League team owner treats him, so he forms his own lineup, recruiting big-hitting Leon Car...

The River Niger
1976
as Johnny Williams
An intimate look at life in the ghetto: Johnny Williams is a house painter who moonlights as a poet, struggling to financially and emotionally support...

Deadly Hero
1975
as Rabbit Shazam
Officer Lacy is an 18-year veteran of the New York Police Department who finds himself demoted from detective back to patrol duty for his violent tend...

The UFO Incident
1975
as Barney Hill
In the early 1960s, an interracial couple undergo hypnosis, which unlocks memories of a forgotten event on a lonely road. Soon they believe they were ...

The Cay
1974
as Timothy
When Young Phillip is separated form his mother and found by a black man named Timothy and his cat Stewcat, Phillip becomes blind and they all end up ...

Claudine
1974
as Rupert D. "Roop" Marshall
Claudine is a single mother in New York City who endures an exhausting commute to the suburbs where she works as a maid for wealthy families. In one c...

King Lear
1974
as King Lear
James Earl Jones delivers a riveting performance as paranoid patriarch King Lear, an aging monarch who insists that his three daughters prove their lo...

The Man
1972
as Douglass Dilman
When the President and Speaker of the House are killed in a building collapse, and the Vice-President declines the office due to age and ill-health, S...

Malcolm X
1972
as Biographical Narration (voice)
James Earl Jones narrates this fascinating and moving documentary about the life of the assassinated black leader through various sources.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Legacy of a Dream
1971
as Narrator
King (1929-68), the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, set an example of non-violence and led the civil rights movement advocating just...

The Great White Hope
1970
as Jack Jefferson
A black champion boxer and his white female companion struggle to survive while the white boxing establishment looks for ways to knock him down.

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
as Self (archive footage)
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activi...

End of the Road
1970
as Doctor D
Moments after receiving his graduate diploma, Jacob waits at a train station. The future lies ahead, but life abruptly intervenes. Images flash in Jac...

The Comedians
1967
as Dr. Magiot
American and British tourists get caught up in political unrest in Haiti.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964
as Lt. Lothar Zogg
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diploma...