Biography
But more famous than any onscreen role was his deep, resonant voice that first gave authority and menace to Darth Vader in "Star Wars" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983) - a startling achievement due to his overcoming a debilitating childhood stutter that remained with him throughout his career. Prior to his iconic voice performance in "Star Wars," he made a name for himself on the stage, especially in …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
2012 | Joined an all-star cast for "Gore Vidal's The Best Man" on Broadway | |
2011 | Received an honorary Academy Award | |
2010 | Returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry's "Driving Miss Daisy" along with Vanessa Redgrave | |
2008 | Starred in Debbie Allen's revival of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" | |
2005 | Headed the cast in an African-American Broadway revival version of "On Golden Pond," directed by Leonard Foglia; earned a Tony nomination; production closed early due Jones' illness | |
2005 | Returned as the voice of Darth Vader in "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," the final installment of the series | |
2003 | Guest starred on The WB's "Everwood" as a jazz pianist and Ephram's mentor; received an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series | |
1999 | Starred as Dr. William Blakely in Showtime movie "Summer's End"; earned Daytime Emmy Award | |
1998 | Reprised the voice of Mufasa in the direct-to-video sequel "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" | |
1997 | Portrayed the best friend of Hume Cronyn in the Showtime movie "Horton Foote's Alone" | |
1996 | Co-starred with Duvall in "A Family Thing"; pair played half-brothers in a script by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson | |
1995 | Movingly portrayed the South African minister in film remake of Alan Paton's famed classic "Cry the Beloved Country" | |
1994 | Returned to series TV in short-lived "Under One Roof" (CBS) | |
1994 | Spoke with leonine authority as King Mustafa in Disney's animated feature "The Lion King" | |
1991 | Acted with Duvall in Peter Masterson's "Convicts" | |
1990 | Cast as the title character in the ABC drama "Gabriel's Fire" (later retitled "Pros and Cons") | |
1990 | Reteamed with Cicely Tyson for the TNT miniseries "Heat Wave," based on the 1965 Watts riots | |
1990 | Cast as a CIA offical in "The Hunt for Red October," the first of three films based on Tom Clancy novels (also "Patriot Games" in 1992 and "Clear and Present Danger" in 1994) | |
1989 | Portrayed skeptical and reclusive writer Terrence Mann in "Field of Dreams" | |
1987 | Acted in John Sayles' "Matewan" and in Francis Ford Coppola's "Gardens of Stone" | |
1987 | Played the Tony Award-winning leading role in August Wilson's "Fences" | |
1982 | Acted in the Broadway production of "Othello" playing the title role; co-starred opposite future wife Cecilia Hart | |
1980 | Appeared on stage in Fugard's "A Lesson from Aloes" | |
1979 | Cast in TV series "Paris" (CBS), playing titular role of erudite black police captain | |
1979 | Portrayed Alex Haley in ABC miniseries sequel "Roots: The Next Generations" | |
1978 | London stage debut, bringing the one-man show "Paul Robeson" from Broadway | |
1977 | Provided the uncredited voice of Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and in the subsequent sequels | |
1977 | First film with actor Robert Duvall, "The Greatest"; played Malcolm X | |
1975 | Reteamed with Tyson for "The River Niger" the film version of the award-winning play | |
1974 | Played Lennie in the Broadway production of "Of Mice and Men" | |
1974 | Appeared as Diahann Carroll's love interest in the feature "Claudine" | |
1970 | Starred in Fugard's "Boseman and Lena" at NYC's Circle in the Square | |
1970 | Received Best Actor Academy Award nomination for reprising Johnson in the film version of "The Great White Hope" | |
1968 | Won his first Tony Award for his role as boxer Jack Johnson in the Broadway production "The Great White Hope" | |
1967 | Second feature, "The Comedians"; once again cast opposite Tyson | |
1966 | Appeared as Dr. Jerry Turner on the daytime drama "As the World Turns" (CBS); one of the first black regulars on a daytime drama | |
1964 | Appeared in South African playwright Athol Fugard's "The Blood Knot" (NYC) | |
1964 | Feature debut as Lieutenant Jimmy Zogg in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" | |
1963 | Received Emmy nomination for guest starring on the series "East Side, West Side" (CBS), starring George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson | |
1961 | Acted in acclaimed NYC production of Jean Genet's "The Blacks" | |
1959 | Began his long association with the New York Shakespeare Festival | |
1958 | Appeared on Broadway in "Sunrise at Campobello" | |
1957 | Broadway acting debut as understudy for the role of Perry Hall in "The Egghead" | |
1957 | First paying job as Ivan Dixon's understudy in "Wedding in Japan" | |
| Served in U.S. Army | ||
1949 | Made acting debut in a college production of "Deep Are the Roots" at the University of Michigan | |
| Acted for the first time at the Ramsdell Theater in Manistee, MI | ||
| Moved with family to rural Michigan around the age of five | ||
| Raised in rural Mississippi by maternal grandparents | ||
Awards
2012 | Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Life Achievement |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Drama Series in Everwood |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in Frasier |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in Cry, the Beloved Country |
1995 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in Under One Roof |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Drama Series in Picket Fences |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Gabriel's Fire |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In a Miniseries or Special in Heat Wave |
1991 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Pros & Cons |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In a Miniseries or Special in By Dawn's Early Light |
1990 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Gabriel's Fire |
1988 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in Matewan |
1987 | Tony Award for Actor (Play) |
1974 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Claudine |
1970 | Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor |
1970 | Academy Award for Actor in The Great White Hope |
1970 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Great White Hope |
1969 | Tony Award for Actor (Dramatic) |
1964 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By an Actor In in East Side/West Side |