RIP James Earl Jones, the voice of the definitive dads of my childhood
On Monday, September 10, 2024, James Earl Jones passed away at 93. He will be remembered as a profoundly amazing actor for both stage and screen—so talented, he’s forever in the highly esteemed EGOT club.
But to me and many other people, on a personal level, Jones will be fondly remembered as the definitive fictional dads of my childhood. On two very different poles of fatherhood.
If you know one thing about James Earl Jones, it’s that he had one of the most distinctive, astonishing voices in show business. That voice could be intimidating as hell, as Jones showed in his iconic performance as Darth Vader. It could also be warm and comforting, as was the case with one of Jones’ other popular roles, Mufasa in The Lion King.
Both characters are iconic, and both are famously—this is true!—dads. One a very good dad who is a respected hero and tragically dies before his time. The other a guy who was so evil, he didn’t even know he was a dad until his kids grew up and started fighting him because he was evil. But the two make up the definitive dad performances of my childhood, and many others, nonetheless.
Remembering Jones’ magic
When I was a kid, I had The Lion King on constant loop (and The Goofy Movie, another great dad movie, but Jones unfortunately wasn’t in that one). It was the ’90s, so I would watch the movie, take out the videotape, rewind it, and simply watch it again. Mufasa’s famous death at the hand of his brother Scar and a herd of stampeding gazelles—and, more to the point, Simba’s heartbreaking reaction—never failed to hit.
Jones’ voice gave Mufasa that ultimate kingly quality: someone to look up to, and then someone whose legacy feels impossible to fill. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role—so much so that Jones played Mufasa in the “live action” Lion King. (He won’t be in the cast for the upcoming young Mufasa movie, though.)
A little later, my parents showed me the original Star Wars trilogy for the first time. I was immediately obsessed. Saying Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains of cinema is hardly a hot take, but try to reimagine the first time you watched him in action. Vader’s menace is apparent in the costume, then the breathing makes you frozen to the spot. But the second he speaks, something clicks and sends a shiver down your spine—especially as a kid.
“I am your father,” is one of the most famous lines to ever come out of Hollywood, and for damn good reason. Imagine my six-year-old shock in learning that Vader and Mufasa was the same guy. Such different roles! Such different dads! I was immediately filled with a deep respect and awe for this man.
So rest in peace, James Earl Jones. We’ll miss you.
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