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Denzel Washington Pays Heartfelt Tribute To His ‘Hero’ James Earl Jones: ‘He Was Everything To Me’
Denzel Washington remembers his childhood "hero" James Earl Jones in an interview with Variety. The actor revealed how the late actor was one of his acting influences!
Denzel Washington was inspired to start his acting and theater career after watching James Earl Jones in the epic 1971 stage adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones and his portrayal of the titular Othello in the 1964 Boardway production.
Speaking to Variety, the Training Day actor confessed that the Earl Jones— who passed away on September 9, 2024—was his “hero” and inspiration. “I wasn’t going to be as big as him. I wanted to sound like him. He was everything to me as a budding actor. He was who I wanted to be,” Washington added.
The late actor was known for his unique baritone, which made him the perfect actor to bring the villainous Darth Vader to life in the Star Wars franchise, as well as the voice of King Mufasa in the animated classic The Lion King.
In 1998, the Gladiator II actor spoke to the outlet about Black representation in Hollywood at the time. “There weren’t a lot of serious Black actors for us to emulate,” he said, but he mentioned Sidney Poitier and Earl Jones as two significant figures.
Although Washington and the Coming to America actor never worked together, they have a shared legacy. One of Jones’s career highlights was his performance as Troy Maxson in the 1987 Broadway production of August Wilson’s Fences, earning him a Tony Award.
Washington directed, produced, and starred in its 2016 film adaptation, which went on to earn the actor a double Oscar nomination—for best picture and best actor—making him the first Black actor to earn that honor in the same year.
The American Gangster actor is currently at the Toronto Film Festival promoting the film adaptation of another August Wilson novel, The Piano Lesson. The film, which is set to release on Netflix on November 8, tells the story of a Black family in the aftermath of the Great Depression with a star-studded cast
John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, and Samuel L. Jackson are starring in the film, with the Star Wars actor serving as co-producer alongside Todd Black.
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