"When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me?” These were the words spoken by our beloved James Earl Jones in one of the best movies of all time. The legend, who starred in my top two movies (Conan and Star Wars), has passed away at the age of 93. In recent days, most news outlets haven’t even mentioned Conan the Barbarian in his filmography. They list his other great performances in Field of Dreams, The Lion King, Coming to America and for his powerful voice as Darth Vader. But it was in Conan, that James Earl Jones shined most. Whereas most other films he had co-staring roles and lent his voice, it was as Thulsa Doom where Jones was seen and heard in the role of a lead villain. He had top billing with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold put out a comforting message on the passing of Jones and it was moving to hear how kind and professional he was to a bodybuilder with little acting abilities in the early 1980s.
"James Earl Jones was an icon. He will always live on with his legacy of playing some of the greatest characters of all time. But we all know about his tremendous acting ability. So I want to talk about his heart. When we filmed Conan, I was the new kid on the block, and he couldn’t have been more welcoming. He was always willing to read lines with me in his trailer, and he always had the perfect acting advice. He was a fantastic mentor who taught me about the craft and about Hollywood. He didn’t have to do that, and it shows you how big his heart was. I’ll miss him, and I will never forget him.” – Schwarzenegger
Meeting James Earl Jones and having him sign my Conan sword was a huge goal but it never happened. However, I was honored to have him send me a signed photo of one of my all-time favorite contributor’s to what has made my life so fun. James Earl Jones was there for my cinematic adventures in my childhood and he shall continue to be there for me as an adult, to cherish his powerful and everlasting contributions.
