The legacy of James Earl Jones as an actor is tremendous, and he was universally beloved as a genuine mensch in real life. From Fences on Broadway to Roots on TV, from the iconic voices of Darth Vader and Mufasa on film to to the respected voice of CNN, one universal truth shone brightly:
That voice.
But what was it about that voice that made it s great? The answer might surprise you.
It’s not just about that deep resonance.
James Earl Jones was very public about his childhood stutter. Those of us who provide therapy for people who stutter are very grateful for his openness, candor, and generosity on this subject.
He was so daunted by his speaking difficulties that he was an elective mute for many years. That means he chose not to speak at all because talking was so awful for him. Just imagine that for a moment.
The turning point for him was a teacher who encouraged him to read a poem he had written aloud in class. Mr. Jones discovered that when he spoke memorized words, he did not stutter.
By the way, this is generally the case for people who stutter. Speaking memorized words reduces or eliminates instances of dysfluency.
Once he discovered the power of speaking, he realized he enjoyed using his speech and words for effect.
This, I believe, is the crux.
We think we love James Earl Jones’s voice, but I believe what we really love is how he expressed himself though the words.
A pretty voice is nice, but it’s about the SKILL of how someone USES that voice. And that’s what he did. He spoke from his toes, his gut, his heart. He spoke truly and deeply.
Yes, it had a lovely timbre, which helped it catch fire. Who doesn’t like beauty?! But that beautiful tone alone isn’t what made him great. It’s his ability to connect to and express the language that made him the actor we admire, revere, and love.
I’ll end with this quote from a New York Times article:
Mr. Jones profited from a deep analysis of meaning in his lines. “Because of my muteness,” he said in “Voices and Silences,” a 1993 memoir written with Penelope Niven, “I approached language in a different way from most actors. I came at language standing on my head, turning words inside out in search of meaning, making a mess of it sometimes, but seeing truth from a very different viewpoint.”
And that extraordinary relationship to language os what made hi the GOAT. His beautiful voice was a bonus.
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