Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, marked the passing of one of film’s most iconic actors, James Earl Jones, who died at the age of 93. Most all of the articles I saw mentioning this news had in the title that Jones was the voice of Darth Vader. While this is true, and while he was more than willing to come back and continue to do the voice of one of film’s most iconic villains, he has an epically long filmography that should be reviewed beyond his time playing Vader and Mufasa (the dad in “The Lion King” for anyone who might’ve forgotten). Here are but a few highlights:

MOVIE: “The Flight of Dragons” (1982, NR, 95 min, watch it: DVD)

Ah, the 80s, when animated movies weren’t afraid to be dark, both in tone and in color palette. Though I’m starting off with yet another movie that has Jones’ voice and not his physical presence, he delivers one of the most amazing villains in animated movies as Ommadon. The storyline itself is pretty interesting, focusing on the debate about magic (or the unexplained parts of nature) and science coexisting, and much of it resonates still today. There are several other famous voices in the movie (John Ritter, Harry Morgan, Victor Buono and an opening song by Don McLean), but what really makes the movie engaging is Jones’ excellent villain.

MOVIE: “Conan the Barbarian” (1982, R, 129 min, watch it: DVD, Netflix)

Weren’t expecting this one, were you? Thulsa Doom is another great villain, but this time we actually get James Earl Jones in person. His wig might throw you for a bit, but the voice will give him away. Sure, he has some pretty terrible dialogue to work with, but he certainly makes the most of it and his facial expressions are great. This was still pretty early in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career and they didn’t have him talking much, so without a chatty hero, you need a chatty villain and Jones delivers in spades.

MOVIE: “Matewan” (1987, PG-13, 135 min, watch it: DVD)

This gritty look at a true tale of mining in West Virginia is a haunting historical reminder. Jones plays “Few Clothes” Johnson, one of the men brought in to work at a mine as a scab, a worker who will break the picket line of striking workers. Since those workers were all white, racial tensions add to the already taut nature of crossing a picket line. When Johnson goes to the union meeting, we see more of Jones’ versatility as this character is proud while also being scared out of his mind. Though Jones doesn’t have a large part in the movie, it is certainly a memorable one.

MOVIE: “Field of Dreams” (1989, PG, 107 min, watch it: DVD, Netflix)

A sports movie that is about so much more than sports, Jones plays the wonderfully dynamic character Terence Mann who has an amazing character reveal. Kevin Costner’s character, Ray, travels a long distance to meet Mann who distinctly doesn’t want to be bothered. Fortunately, he changes his mind and travels with Ray to see the baseball field and deliver a monologue about baseball that makes the movie. Though there are other parts of the movie with a lot of heart, Jones’ speech gives the movie its soul.

MOVIES: “The Hunt for Red October” (1990, PG, 135 min, watch it: DVD, Max) & “Patriot Games” (1992, R, 117 min, watch it: DVD, Max) & “Clear and Present Danger” (1994, PG-13, 141 min, watch it: DVD, Max)

Admiral Greer is an integral character in the Jack Ryan storylines and Jones had the responsibility of bringing that character to life on screen. Even though they went in a different direction with the casting of Jack Ryan himself (going from Adam Baldwin to Harrison Ford), there was never a conversation about using anyone other than Jones to continue the role of Greer. His ability to switch from seriousness to humor and back again gives the movie levity and he is a welcome source of continuity for the stories.

MOVIE: “Sneakers” (1992, PG-13, 126 min, watch it: DVD)

Jones has a very short role, mostly at the end of the movie, but Mr. Bernard Abbott is spectacular. The movie itself is a little dated for technology but otherwise pretty great and quite entertaining. The cast is pretty darn amazing with Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell and Ben Kingsley, but the story’s twists and turns are what will keep you engaged throughout. And the humor, particularly the final scene when the team succeeds in their task and then turns the table on the government representative, Jones himself, with their list of demands.

MOVIE: “Judge Dredd” (1995, R, 96 min, watch it: DVD)

Another movie you probably weren’t thinking of when you contemplated a list of James Earl Jones movies. Heck, if you look at the list of actors in the movie or watched the entire credit sequence, you wouldn’t even find Jones! This is one of a multitude of movies (at least 10) where he is uncredited for the role he provided, usually as a narrator as was the case here. This ranks with “Conan the Barbarian” as campy movie fun at its finest. While Sylvester Stallone takes on the titular hero’s role, Jones provides the background of the story you might need to string the storyline together.

MOVIE: “The Great White Hope” (1970, PG, 96 min, watch it: DVD)

Ending on a more serious note, we’ll go back to the beginning of Jones’ movie career. True, he got his screen start with “Dr. Strangelove” but this movie catapulted Jones to fame with his Academy Award nomination. Originally a stage play which premiered in 1967 at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. with Jones in the lead role, they quickly adapted it to a movie to get the story out to a larger audience. It follows the story of Jack Jefferson (a not so clever fictionalization of the real Jack Johnson), a powerful boxer who beats every white boxer put in front of him in the early 1900s. When he also courts a white woman, nearly all of society starts pushing back on him even harder. Honestly, the film isn’t the most cinematically interesting thing to look at. While the character is a boxer, the boxing sequences in the movie are too tight and shaky to be believable. Jones looks almost unrecognizable with a shaved head, but the voice once again gives him away. His performance, and that of Jane Alexander, are well done and make the movie worth a watch.

So, are any of these what to watch for you? Any of them would be a fine tribute to James Earl Jones and a great way to remember everything he brought to this world. I’d also strongly encourage watching any footage of him on stage you can find, particularly his run in the play “Fences” which is simply mesmerizing. His laugh was infectious and joyous, his voice deep and rich. Though it might not have been said of him while he was alive, particularly with all of his malicious villainous roles, he has the voice of an angel now.

Kent Kraft is someone who is amazed at the versatility of actors like James Earl Jones, something that became more apparent as he worked through the actor’s filmography. Now, he’s going to wrap things up before someone finds a crowbar! (Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference there…)