What James Earl Jones Can Teach Us About Human Resilience and the Importance of Purpose
How a traumatized, stuttering and mute child became the greatest voice in acting
Young Anakin Skywalker had a dark side, which ultimately transformed him into the evil Darth Vader. James Earl Jones, who famously voiced that Dark Lord, had his own dark upbringing, but he ultimately put it to good use—for many decades until his death this week at age 93.
The actor’s story is a portrait of misfortune and resilience, of grit and determination, of purpose and joy born from emotional turmoil.
Jones’ dad left just after he was born. His mom abandoned him when he was 5, and he was raised by a grandmother he called “the most racist person, bigoted person I have ever known,” according to his obit in The New York Times. The trauma during his childhood, starting in Mississippi then being uprooted to Michigan, cause him to stutter, and by age 8 he was so embarrassed by it, and found the experience of being teased by other kids so painful, he stopped talking.
The boy who was to become the greatest voice actor of all time—the future embodiment of Mufasa—went largely mute. He didn’t completely stop talking, he said in a 1996 interview with the Academy of Achievement, he just resolved…
