Famous and Gravy Rolling Thunder (James Earl Jones)
This person died in 2024, age 93. He started out in destitute days working in a diner and living in a $19-a-month cold-water flat. He collected Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys, Kennedy Center Honors, and an Honorary Academy Award. He once appeared in 18 plays in 30 months, often made a half-dozen films a year, alongside his TV work – and he did it for half a century. He was a bear of a man—six-foot-two with a barrel chest, large head, and emotional fire. He did voiceover work in the original Star Wars trilogy and in The Lion King. Today’s dead celebrity is James Earl Jones.
If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 87 Simply the Best (Tina Turner), Episode 101 Soul Queen (Aretha Franklin), or Episode 95 Total Consciousness (Harold Ramis).
LINKS:
NYT Obituary for James Earl Jones
Kurt Vonnegut letter read by James Earl Jones (Letters Live, 2018)
James Earl Jones A&E Biography
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror — “The Raven”
James Earl Jones counts to 10 on Sesame Street (1969)
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads
Famous & Gravy official website
James Earl Jones was an actor whose stutter became his superpower—the voice behind Darth Vader, Mufasa, and a towering Shakespearean career. Michael and Nichelle unpack leadership without ego, stage-first discipline, and why he championed contentment over happiness. Keywords: James Earl Jones, Rolling Thunder, Darth Vader, The Lion King, Mufasa, Othello, Shakespeare, stuttering, voice actor, contentment, Famous & Gravy.
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