A booming voice has quieted. James Earl Jones, the man behind Darth Vader, Mufasa, and Othello, along with many other prominent acting roles, died at 93 on Sept. 9 surrounded by family.
Jones was an avid speaker on cultural issues, Black media representation, and discrimination in the media industry, as was the topic of his keynote speech at Indiana University Bloomington in 2006.
Inger Nemcik, operations specialist for the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, attended his speech and recalled how Jones carried himself gracefully while trying to inspire the black community.
“Despite him working as an actor, working so many roles and guest spots, anybody who ever worked with him only talked about the grace he had,” Nemcik said. “He was never arrogant.”
Zach Osterman, a reporter for The Indianapolis Star who was a reporter for the Indiana Daily Student during his time at IU, said he got to interview Jones when he was the guest lecturer in 2006.
“It was nerve-racking,” Osterman said. “As a college freshman, I was waiting by the dorm phone for “Far and Away” the most note-worthy interview I’d ever done.”
Osterman was a freshman in 2006 when he got the Jones assignment. It felt weighted, unlike other interviews he had done.
“[The interview] was intimating, but [Jones] wasn’t,” Osterman said. “He was really articulate and thoughtful, he had to know at some point he was talking with a college freshman, but he just kept on being accommodating.”
Osterman said that Jones was engaging, and while the interview was centered around Jones's lecture, the pair sidetracked into talking about Jones’s acting career.
“It was fascinating to talk to someone who has mastered their craft, talking to one of the greatest actors of our generation,” Osterman said.
Osterman was also at Jones’ lecture and recounted a memorable moment that showed how compassionate Jones was.
“The thing I remember the most is a little girl, walking up to a microphone, and he wasn’t allowed to do Darth Vader, and she asked, ‘Are you the voice of the Lion King?’,” Osterman said. “And without breaking character, he went, ‘Simba,’ in his deep voice.”
Jones, unlike other high-profile speakers, gave a genuine feel to the event, Osterman said.
“Unlike other celebrities, he treated the speech to deliver what he thought was an important message,” Osterman said. “He wanted to engage with the community and made time for us.”
