Star Wars fans know that James Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vader. Jones provided the iconic deep tones that gave life to this dark lord of the Empire.
Yet, we may not know HOW Jones became the voice of Vader. Read on to find out more.
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How Did Jones Become the Voice of Darth Vader?
Because of his voiceover work, James Earl Jones became firmly associated with the original trilogy and the Star Wars franchise. However, his pathway to becoming Darth Vader’s voice was not straightforward.
Raised in Michigan, Jones embarked on a theatre career in New York in the 1950s. By the early 1960s, Jones was performing Shakespeare and made his film debut in Dr. Strangelove.
In 1969, Jones earned a Tony award for his performance in the play The Great White Hope.
In 1977, George Lucas selected this stage actor to perform the recordings of Vader’s voice. Lucas had not intended to use Prowse’s voice and screen numerous recordings to find the right replacement.
In the interview above, Jones indicates how George Lucas first thought of Orson Welles, but his voice would probably be “too recognizable.”
Lucas then went with a relatively unknown actor from Mississippi who had a stutter as a child. Surprisingly, Jones completed Vader’s voice in A New Hope in about two-and-a-half hours.
According to Jones, it was a fortuitous opportunity when he was offered the voice role.
He described how he “was broke again” when his agent called saying, “Do you want a day’s work doing some voiceover?” Jones did want the work and became part of “a cult hit.” The movie provided both short and long-term benefits, to say the least.
Jones was not actually unknown at the time. He had already made his name on Broadway and movies. As this article states, his stage career was “rich and startlingly diverse.”
His roles included “Broadway crowd-pleasers,” “oft-produced classics,” and “head-scratching experimental theater.”
His turn to films included a movie version of The Great White Hope (1970), The River Niger (1976), and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
Fortunately for us, he took that turn and brought Vader’s voice to life and shaped him into the villain we know.
Other Interesting Facts about Jones as the Voice of Vader
James Earl Jones also decided not to get credit for his work until Return of the Jedi. The reason why, as explained in this video, has to do with the actor who physically played Darth Vader and spoke his lines during filming, David Prowse.
Jones’ baritone voice style was used in the post-filming recordings, but Jones did not want to take the spotlight away from Prowse.
So, Jones remained anonymous until everyone knew that he was behind Vader’s voice. He received credit in 1983 and in re-releases of the earlier films in the 1990s.
Jones spoke about how he saw his initial role as “special effects” and how he was paid $7,000 for his work on A New Hope.
This acclaimed actor went on to many other recognizable movies, such as Field of Dreams and The Lion King, where he received full credit and presumably higher pay.
To develop Vader’s voice, Jones and Lucas collaborated on a unique “cadence and tone.” They decided the “key” to Vader’s voice was to “keep it on a very narrow band of expression,” as Jones said.
Jones believed that Vader “never learned the beauties and subtleties of human expression” and kept Vader’s voice on that track.
Sound designer Ben Burtt and Lucas also used a sound technique that sent Jones’s voice through speakers before they re-recorded it. These creative elements added to the depth of Vader’s voice.
Jones and Vader
James Earl Jones may have “lucked out” with earning the spot for Vader’s voice, or he may have been “destined” for it. As a stage actor, he did not take a direct path to his iconic voiceover work.
Jones pursued a marginal opportunity that supported his burgeoning theater and film career. Yet, his voice carried forward in much larger ways than anyone knew at the time.