How much was James Earl Jones paid for Darth Vader? Details explored

The iconic stage and screen actor James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93. His representative confirmed that he died on Monday, September 9, 2024 at his home in Dutchess County, New York. Surrounded by family at the time of his passing, his death marks the end of an era for fans worldwide.

Known for his deep, resonant voice and commanding presence Jones' career spanned several decades that earned him critical acclaim and a host of prestigious awards.

Among all his most memorable roles was the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. It was a character that became synonymous with villainy and power.

His portrayal of Vader began with the original 1977 Star Wars film, which is now retitled Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope, left an indelible mark on cinema.

James Earl Jones' voice brought to life one of Hollywood's most infamous antagonists, for which he was paid $7000.

In a 2009 interview with the American Film Institute, Jones disclosed:

"George wanted, pardon the expression, a dark voice. So he hires a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, who stutters. And that’s the voice. That’s me. I lucked out, from all these so-called handicaps, for a job that paid $7000! And I thought that was good money. And I got to be a voice on a movie."

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James Earl Jones chose not to get credited for voicing Darth Vader

Without a shred of doubt James Earl Jones' voice has shaped the character of Vader but he was not credited in the original 1977 Star Wars film or its 1980 sequel, The Empire Strikes Back.

The decision to remain uncredited was Jones' own which stemmed from his respect for David Prowse, the actor who physically portrayed the menacing Sith Lord on screen.

Jones felt that Prowse's on-set presence and physical portrayal deserved recognition.

The anonymity of Jones' contribution persisted through the series' early entries and it was only in the third installment, Return of the Jedi, released in 1983 that James Earl Jones finally appeared in the credits for his role as the voice of Darth Vader.

In discussions about his work on Star Wars, Jones remarked on the nature of his involvement, noting the unique aspects of voice acting compared to traditional roles.

In a 2008 interview with the American Film Institute, he pointed out the simplicity of his task compared to Prowse's mentioning that his job was made easier because he did not have to match his voice to visible lip movements, thanks to Vader's mask.

James Earl Jones spent just two and a half hours recording the dialogue for Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film, revealing in a 1995 interview with Conan O’Brien the efficiency of his iconic voice work.

He also shared an intriguing tidbit that Orson Welles was initially considered for the role but George Lucas feared Welles' voice would be too recognizable.

James Earl Jones (Photo by Edmund Eckstein/Getty Images)

Reflecting on the process, Jones admitted:

“We didn’t know what we had.”

As they moved to Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back the team aimed to replicate their initial success.

"Lucas was keen on consistency so he advised Jones “We don’t know what we did right, so let’s just try what we did.”

Jones was interested in adding more depth to Vader.

He wanted to make it more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically oriented but Lucas insisted on a restrained approach.

He explained to the American Film Institute that Vader needed to maintain a "very narrow band of inflection because he ain’t human, really. If he gets too expressive, he seems too human," aligning with the character's portrayal as "more machine now than man" as observed by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness).

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James Earl Jones passed away on Monday, September 9, 2024, at his home in Dutchess County, New York.