James Earl Jones Net Worth 2023: Is It Really As Huge As…..?

So you’re intrigued to know James Earl Jones net worth. Why not? After all, he is one of the most historical names in the Hollywood industry ruling it for the past seventy years.

The news of James Earl Jones stepping down from voicing Darth Vader was hard to digest for Star Wars fans. Nevertheless, the esteemed voice artist agreed to give rights to the franchise to use AI to recreate his voice sounding ‘younger,’ back then. The backstory of the now globally acclaimed actor and voice artist is quite intriguing.

Life isn’t easy for anyone, and James Earl Jones was no exception. From getting past his disability to speak and perform as a voiceover artist and actor on the big screen, the 92-year-old has covered a long-hauling distance. Read this article to discover James Earl Jones net worth, past experiences and philanthropy.

Full Name:	James Earl Jones
Known As:	James Earl Jones
Date Of Birth:	17th January, 1931
Birth Place:	Arkabutla, Mississippi, US
Nationality:	American
Age:	92 Years
Height:	6 ft. 2 in.
Profession:	Actor. Voiceover Artist
Net Worth:	40 Million USD
Years Active In Industry:	70 years and still active
Marital Status:	Divorced
Ex-Wife:	Julienne Marie (now divorced); Lt. Cecilia Hart (died in 2016)
Children:	1 Son- Flynn

Table of Contents

Early Life & Education

Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on the 17th of January in 1931, James Earl Jones followed the footsteps of his father, Robert Earl Jones (also referred to as Earl Jones) who was a professional actor and boxer and shares his roots deep with America. His mother, Ruth (née Connolly), managed his expenses by working as a teacher and maid.

James Earl Jones had a very hard childhood. He spent his green days with his maternal grandparents John Henry and Maggie Connolly and eye-witnessed the Great Migration due to which he also got a trauma and started to stutter. His condition was so severe that he wasn’t able to talk at all until high school.

Since speaking seemed difficult to James Earl Jones, he developed a knack for writing poetry in high school. It was his English teacher Donald Crouch who motivated him to go the whole nine yards to get past this difficulty in speaking by reading out loud his self-written poems.

After completing high school, James Earl Jones did choose pre-med as a major and entered the University Of Michigan. While in uni., he joined the Reverse Officers Training Corps and loved its structure. He then realized that pre-med doesn’t float his boat and changed his major to drama and graduated in 1955. From here over James Earl Jones net worth started piling up.

James Earl Jones Net Worth 2023

As reported, James Earl Jones net worth is 40 Million USD. Now a renowned actor, James used to perform as a janitor after moving to New York to join the American Theatre Wing. Let’s have a look at his journey to build his financial strength.

Military Service Period

James Earl Jones joined the Reverse Officers Training Corps while at the University Of Michigan. He took his role seriously and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Korean War. After serving his duties towards his duties, James Earl Jones considered making a career in the field that kept him at ease during his time in the military.

Earnings From On-Screen Projects

James Earl Jones started as Othello at Ramsdell Theatre in Michigan in 1955. In five years, he nailed the role projection of several characters from the work of Shakespeare. During the early 60s, he got his debut big-screen project, Dr. Strangelove. He managed to excel in both stage dramas and on-screen performances appearing in ABC’s Theatre-Five, The Comedians in 1977, and The Great White Hope. After the critical success of the play The Great White Hope went to Broadway and he received Tony Award and Drama Desk Award.

Progress With Movies

James Earl Jones appeared in Conan The Barbarian alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie was a hit with a $69 Million box office collection globally.

The Darth Vader voice artist also made a lion’s share of his net worth from Star Wars as its sequels broke box office records back to back with every installment. He rose to prominence once again with his role in Edie Murphy’s Coming To America in 1988. This blockbuster project engrossed $288 Million against its budget of $30 Million. The movie added James Earl Jones net worth with a whopping $900K for his role.

Once more James Earl Jones earned a crown with his acting skills in Fields Of Dreams that did fetch around $85 Million at box office collection. Another time he was part of a jaw-dropping cast that included Scott Glenn, Sam Niel and Alec Baldwin in The Hunt For Red October in 1990. This time the box office collection was $200.5 Million.

Aiming to make his net worth sky-high, James Earl Jones worked his fingers to the bones to deliver back-to-back hits that fetched him huge sums as fees and more superlative roles. He was seen in Patriot Games which grossed $175 Million, The Sandlot in which he plays Mr. Mertle, and earned $34 Million at box office collection. In 1994, he was seen in Clear And Present Danger in the shoes of Mr. Mertel again, because it was a sequel to Patriot Games. The movie made $216 Million against its budget of $62 Million.

Earnings As A Voiceover Artist

In 2021, the Star Wars franchise offered James Earl Jones $7000 or the points, i.e., a share in the movie’s profit to add his lively voice to the character of Darth Vader. The Comedians fame chose $7000 but little did he know that his voice would get him international recognition. The movie was a huge success garnering $775.4 Million at the box office against its budget of $11 Million which was an unexpected stroke.

If he had opted for points, James Earl Jones net worth could have got escalated to a whole another level. Nevertheless, he enjoyed being the voice behind Darth Vader as he said in one of his interviews, “I lucked out to get a job that paid me $7,000, and I thought that was good money,” Jones said to the American Film Institute in 2009. “And I got to be a voice on a movie.” (Source: Showbiz CheatSheet)

You’ll get enthralled to know that James Earl Jones wasn’t ready to let his name show in the credits until the third installment of Star Wars, as it comes off clear from one of his interviews in which he did mention, “When Linda Blair did the girl in The Exorcist, they hired Mercedes McCambridge to do the voice of the devil coming out of her. And there was controversy as to whether Mercedes should get credit. I was one who thought no, she was just special effects. So when it came to Darth Vader, I said, no, I’m just special effects. But it became so identified that by the third one, I thought, OK I’ll let them put my name on it.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Endorsements

Owing to his excellence and prominence and not to forget his drop-dead iconic voice, it is not a surprise that brands were after James Earl Jones to accept their endorsement projects. Every other brand wanted him to talk about their products and services and be their face. It surely added pretty handsome amounts of money to James Earl Jones net worth.

Real Estate

James Earl Jones net worth keeps a keen eye for fetching returns from real estate properties, especially in New York. Another property of the Mufasa voice artist in Gravel Springs Road, US, is a busy place where his friends organize get-togethers frequently.

Personal Life

In 1964, James Earl Jones and actress Julienne Marie read their vows. The couple divorced in 1972 and did not have any children.

James Earl Jones met Cecilia Hart on the sets of Paris in 1979. They fell head over heels for each other and tied the knot in 1982. The couple was blessed with a son, Flynn. Cecilia Hart was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and left the world in 2016.

We all heard him on the 4th of July at Voices of A People’s History of the United States, decoding the meaning of Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech. A speech that made headlines as soon as it was out:

Seven years back from now, James Earl Jones opened up about his long prevailing Type-2 diabetes. He was previously diagnosed with the disease when a doctor in charge discovered him fainted while doing the gym.

Awards & Accolades

Here is the list of James Earl Jones awards and accolades:

S. NO.	YEAR	AWARD NAME	FOR
1	2011	Academy Awards	Lifetime Achievement Award
2	1969	Tony Awards	The Great White Hope
3	1987	Tony Awards	Fences
4	1991	Emmy Awards	Heat Wave
5	1991		Gabriel’s Fire
6	2000		Summer’s End
7	1977	Grammy Awards	Great American Document (Best Spoken Word)
8	1970	Golden Globe Awards	The Great White Hope

Quick Look

James Earl Jones is a ninety-two years old American actor and voice artist who served in the military for a brief period of time. Did you know there was a time he used he couldn’t even speak? He was married to Cecilia Hart who died because of ovarian cancer and shares a son with her, Flynn.

The above article talks about his net worth and the road to success that he followed after he discovered pre-med was not his thing, but acting. James Earl Jones net worth is hugely built from his voiceover and acting skills.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

#1. How Much Money Is James Earl Jones Net Worth?

James Earl Jones net worth is 40 Million USD.

#2. Why Did James Earl Jones Stop Speaking?

James Earl Jones spent his green days with his maternal grandparents John Henry and Maggie Connolly and eye-witnessed the Great Migration due to which he also got a trauma and started to stutter. His condition was so severe that he wasn’t able to talk at all until high school.

#3. Does James Earl Jones Have A Wife?

James Earl Jones married toactress Celecia Hart (also referred to as Ceci Jones) who died of ovarian cancer in 2016. He later tied the knot with Julienne Marie in 1968. But they parted ways after four years due to their busy schedules and difference of opinions.