RIP James Earl Jones

[Sassafras]

As a U.S. election approaches and I've seen my highest elected leaders er, wobble, I wish officials had to watch the scene from "Clear and Present Danger".

" You gave your word to the people of the United States.".

Then there was his performance in Field of Dreams. I feel like a true king has passed from us.

 

[Remembermyname]

Well, I’m certainly not gutted because the dude was 93.

I’ll be lucky if I make it to 63 so I’m just very happy that he gave us Vader.

Vader!!

VADER!!!!!

Next 3 years we are losing a ton…I mean a **** TON of our favorite entertainers from out favorite era!

Yikes.

Well my friend I do hope you get well past 63. As to leaving this life it is the way of things although often not easy for those left In the queue.

Today is out best day and there is much to do.

 

[karamazov80]

This was from EW:

He reprised the role in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) — this time with a percentage of the gross — and later returned for projects including Revenge of the Sith (2005), The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and the 2014-2016 TV series Star Wars Rebels. Jones officially stepped down from the role of Vader in 2022, and gave his permission to Lucasfilm to use archival recordings and AI technology to replicate his voice for the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

If correct, the Kenobi series would have been the first instance of their using recordings/AI rather than having him actually voice Vader. Regardless, I imagine he would still have received a credit for it.

If that is true, then I hope they paid him a boatload of money for those rights. Because it feels really damn icky even when the guy's alive. That much more tasteless when he's gone. Get a damn voice impersonator if you must. But frankly, the classy thing to do would to be done with new Vader material altogether. He was Jones, essentially. This is just one step removed from the cringeworthy return of Tarkin or Leia in Rogue One.

 

[Sassafras]

If that is true, then I hope they paid him a boatload of money for those rights. Because it feels really damn icky even when the guy's alive. That much more tasteless when he's gone. Get a damn voice impersonator if you must. But frankly, the classy thing to do would to be done with new Vader material altogether. He was Jones, essentially. This is just one step removed from the cringeworthy return of Tarkin or Leia in Rogue One.

Shows like Rebels have done well with great voice actors.

But yeah, it'd be nice to move on; create another great villain.

 

[loki2371]

He was an amazing actor and will be missed. And was in so many good movies. Some of my favorite of all time. Very sad to see him go, but he will not be forgotten.

I applaud him for giving Disney permission to use his voice after he is gone, as long as his surviving family always benefit from it (and Disney doesn't abuse it and use it for anything other than Vader in various media).

He did it for the fans (and I'm sure his family) and was aware that the character he helped define transcends himself. A true act of selflessness and shows his humility. James Earl Jones was a great man, but Darth Vader is the most iconic villain of all time. And while his voice helped shape Vader, the character itself is above James Earl Jones and touches the heart of millions and millions of people around the world. He new this. Plus, it keeps a part of himself alive long after he's gone and Darth Vader is still in the fandom.

 

[jye4ever]

Damn I didn’t know he lived only 1 hour from me.

Had I known I would’ve totally jumped his fence lol

 

[Khev]

Damn I didn’t know he lived only 1 hour from me.

Yeah I remember him saying that he was always up for watching Conan with anyone willing to make the drive.

You didn't know that? Shoot.

 

[Remembermyname]

Damn I didn’t know he lived only 1 hour from me.

Had I known I would’ve totally jumped his fence lol

I recommend jumping the fence before 63 kicks in, however there are exceptions.

 

[sithocan]

Rest in peace Darth Vader.
Rest in peace Mufasa.
Rest in peace James Earl Jones.

 

[Remembermyname]

Reflecting on the career of James Earl Jones I recall the first time I saw him in a picture, The Great White Hope as the Boxer Jack Johnson although the name in the picture is Jack Jefferson, Mr Jomes portrayed Jefferson in the play on Broadway which preceded the picture.
The rest is history.

 

[jye4ever]

Yeah I remember him saying that he was always up for watching Conan with anyone willing to make the drive.

You didn't know that? Shoot.

That probably would’ve been the end result for me lol

 

[Khev]

JEJ standing in his doorway giving jye exactly 10 seconds to be gone before he turns back around, lol.

 

[Wor-Gar]

JEJ standing in his doorway giving jye exactly 10 seconds to be gone before he turns back around, lol.

 

[Johnny Utah]

As a U.S. election approaches and I've seen my highest elected leaders er, wobble, I wish officials had to watch the scene from "Clear and Present Danger".

" You gave your word to the people of the United States.".

Then there was his performance in Field of Dreams. I feel like a true king has passed from us.

Admiral Greer is my favourite character of his. That final scene with him and Harrison is heartbreaking.

 

[jye4ever]

Paid $7,000 for ANH.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Paid $7,000 for ANH.

And he didn't want his name in the credits. How that changed.

 

[Otomofan]

If that is true, then I hope they paid him a boatload of money for those rights. Because it feels really damn icky even when the guy's alive. That much more tasteless when he's gone.

Oh, I have a feeling you're gonna see a lot more "icky" stuff than that, coming very soon. Within the decade, AI video is gonna be indistinguishable from the real thing.

You're gonna see stuff like a 25 year old Arnold as He-Man vs Charlton Heston as Skeletor. Any dumb thing you can imagine....can be done.

 

[The Buffinator]

Damn I didn’t know he lived only 1 hour from me.

Had I known I would’ve totally jumped his fence lol

I'm sure he'd have welcomed you just like Terence Mann welcomed Roy Kinsella lol...

 

[abake]

Such a legend.
A truly charismatic performer and gentleman. And so many iconic roles: Vader, Tulsa Doom, King Jaffe Joffer, Admiral Greer...

 

[wormlander]

Damn I didn’t know he lived only 1 hour from me.

Had I known I would’ve totally jumped his fence lol

That's why Obi-wan never told you...