I was saddened to hear of his passing. My man was an icon. He starred in several movies. His legendary voice was in many commercials. James Earl Jones was the man and then some. He lived to be 93. A once-in-a-generation talent. Jones left his mark. He made an impact. I reference him quite often. His marvelous quotes actually appeared on this page. I reached out to my chums on Facebook. What was your favorite role? Difficult to pick one. Let alone five. THIS IS CNN.
DARTH VADAR. Where do I begin? Jones was fantastic and the perfect fit for this galactic villain. I am such a huge fan. LUKE. I AM YOUR FATHER is iconic. There were so many others; in fact, I need a chapter. Here are some of my personal favorites that I drop on a regular basis. Especially when I am selling rocks.
“I AM ALTERING THE DEAL. PRAY I DON’T ALTER IT ANY FURTHER.”
“DON’T BE TOO PROUD OF THIS TECHNOLOGICAL TERROR. THE ABILITY TO DESTROY A PLANET IS INSIGNIFICANT NEXT TO THE POWER OF THE FORCE.”
MUFASA. Jones provided the voice of the father in The Lion King. This animated film was brilliant, and his deep sounds echoed. I loved this movie. It was very well written. I remember looking up what deliberately actually meant in the dictionary.
“SIMBA. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MY FATHER TOLD ME. LOOK AT THE STARS. THE GREAT KINGS OF THE PAST LOOK DOWN ON US FROM THOSE STARS. WHENEVER YOU FEEL ALONE, JUST REMEMBER THAT THOSE KINGS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO GUIDE YOU… AND SO WILL I”
“BEING BRAVE DOESN’T MEAN YOU GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.”
ADMIRAL GREER. The Hunt for Red October. This is one that I have to watch whenever I see it on television. Shawshank is another. I am not kidding. Jones played a solid role in this star-packed movie. His character was tough and witty—a perfect match.
“NOW, UNDERSTAND, COMMANDER, THAT TORPEDO DID NOT SELF DESTRUCT. YOU HEARD IT THE HULL… AND I (SHOWS HIS ID) WAS NEVER HERE.”
THULSA DOOM. Conan the Barbarian. Jones was Conan’s evil counterpart. Classic movie. Another one of my personal favorites.
“Yes. You know what it is, boy? Shall I tell you? It’s the least I can do. Steel isn’t strong, boy; flesh is stronger! Look around you. There, on the rocks, a beautiful girl. Come to me, my child… (coaxes the girl to jump to her death) That is strength, boy! That is power!”
TERRANCE MANN. Field of Dreams. His final speech is a staple. One for the ages. Yes. I have used it on this page. Beautiful movie about cornfields in Iowa. PEOPLE WILL COME RAY.
“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time… This field, this game. It’s part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and could be again. Ohhhhh. People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”
His voice moved and impacted everyone. James Earl is an icon. I simply adored him. I will never forget the roles and what he brought to the table. Circle of life, kids. Cheers.
