James Earl Jones (born
January 17,
1931) is an
American actor of
film and
stage well known for his deep
basso voice.
Background
Childhood
Jones was born in
Arkabutla,
Tate County, Mississippi, the son of Ruth (
née Connolly), a teacher and maid, and
Robert Earl Jones (1910-2006), an actor,
boxer, butler, and chauffeur who left the family before James Earl's birth.
Jones and his father reconciled many years later in the 1980s and 1990s. Jones was raised by his
maternal grandparents,
farmers Maggie and John Henry Connolly,
and is of
African American,
Irish,
Choctaw and
Cherokee descent.
