Since the 1950s, James Earl Jones has been wowing audiences on stage and on screen. With his deep, resonant voice and authoritarian delivery, he has made his mark in drama, science fiction, family films, and thrillers. As the talented actor is celebrating his 90th birthday this week, we take a look at his incredible acting career.

Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. He had a terrible stutter during his childhood, which he overcame during high school. He studied medicine at the University of Michigan, which was when he discovered his talent for acting. After college he served in the military during the Korean War, then he moved to New York City to study at the American Theatre Wing.

In the late 1950s, Jones debuted on Broadway in Sunrise at Campobello, then he worked in the Shakespeare in the Park program, including in one of their first productions in ’62. He is still commended for his 1964 performance in Othello as the titular character.

Jones was nominated for his first Emmy in 1963 for East Side/West Side. A year later he played Lieutenant Lothar Zogg in the war satire Dr. Strangelove. In this period he also starred in the soap operas Guiding Light and As the World Turns.

His first Tony Award came in ’68 when he played boxer Jack Jefferson on Broadway in The Great White Hope. Jones would then star in the movie version of the play, earning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, he continued to work on stage, starring on Broadway in Of Mice and Men and Paul Robeson. In ’87 he won his second Tony in August Wilson’s drama, Fences.

He continued working on film in the dramady Claudine and played author Alex Haley in the miniseries Roots and the sequel, The Next Generations.

In 1977, one of Jones’ most recognizable roles was born in Star Wars. His deep, commanding voice became a pivotal part of what made Darth Vader so intimidating and frightening. Jones returned to voice the Sith lord in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

He starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as the villain Thulsa Doom in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian. Turning to comedy, he gave a comical performance as Eddie Murphy’s father, King Jaffe Joffer, in Coming to America. In ’89 he starred in a pair of sports dramas, first in the whimsical baseball film Field of Dreams and then in the martial arts flick Best of the Best.

Jones played Admiral Greer in the thriller’s The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger. In ’91 he starred in the drama Gabriel’s Fire and had a supporting role in the miniseries, Heat Wave. He won two Emmy Awards for the roles, becoming the first actor to win two drama Emmys in the same year.

Working in family films, he played Mr. Mertle, the mysterious junkyard owner in The Sandlot and a year later he joined the Disney renaissance by voicing King Mufasa in the animated hit, The Lion King. Jones starred in the short-lived show, Under One Roof, and did guest spots on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, Stargate SG-1, and The Simpsons. He returned to his iconic role of voicing Darth Vader for a cameo in Revenge of the Sith.

Jones earned another Tony nomination in 2005 for his starring role in On Golden Pond. Over the next decade, he starred on stage in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man (which earned him another Tony nomination), You Can’t Take It with You, and The Gin Game.

On screen, he was in Gimme Shelter, played himself in The Big Bang Theory, and was in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. He voiced Vader for Star Wars Rebels and did two more cameos for Rogue One and The Rise of Skywalker. His other two most recent roles were also returns to former characters, first by voicing Mufasa in the 2019 adaptation of The Lion King and in 2021 he plays King Jaffe Joffer once again for Coming 2 America.

In addition to Tonys, Emmys, and Oscars, Jones was honored by the Kennedy Center in 2002 and given an honorary Academy Award in 2011.