James Earl Jones to speak at SU

James Earl Jones to speak at SUNovember 10, 2003Edward Byrnesedbyrnes@syr.edu

James Earl Jones, preeminent stage actor, film star and voice artist, will lecture at Syracuse University’s Goldstein Auditorium on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. Jones will present “The Culture Quest: How Culture Affects Us and How We Affect Culture.” Tickets are $3 for SU and SUNY ESF students and $5 for the general public. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. The presentation, sponsored by the University Union Speakers Board, will be followed by a question and answer session.

Jones, known for the deep and resonant voice that gave authority to Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” trilogy, has been the voice of CNN, the Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages, Verizon Telecommunications and King Mustafa in the animated Disney film “The Lion King” (1994). He has also been a Broadway actor for more than 40 years, having won two Tony Awards; he is best known on stage for his long-standing collaboration with South African playwright Athol Fugard and his longtime affiliation with the New York Shakespeare Festival. Jones has also been prominent in television, breaking racial barriers with his roles in “As the World Turns and “The Guiding Light” and starring in ABC’s “Roots, The Next Generation” (1979). In film, Jones has appeared in the 1970 film adaptation of “The Great White Hope,” and in other movies including “Field of Dreams” (1989), “Sommersby” (1993) and “A Family Thing” (1996).