James Earl Jones

Personal context

Summary

James Earl Jones was an acclaimed stage and screen actor, known for The Great White Hope, Fences, Roots, Star Wars, and The Lion King. His work included stories about race and Black life, though he said he did not seek roles to establish an ethnic identity and criticized activists who let race dictate who should direct films. Jones said he rarely discussed racism and was not a political activist; no public advocacy affiliations or recurring political campaigns are on record. He was married to actor Cecilia Hart from 1982 until her death in 2016.