Denzel Washington was inspired to begin his acting and theater career after seeing James Earl Jones in the epic stage adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones in 1971 and his portrayal of Othello in the 1964 Boardwalk production.
Speaking to Variety, the Training Day actor confessed that Earl Jones – who passed away on September 9, 2024 – was his “hero” and inspiration. “I wasn’t going to be as big as him. I wanted to sound like him. He was everything to me as a budding actor. He was who I wanted to be,” Washington said.
The late actor was known for his unique baritone voice, which made him an ideal actor to play the villain Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, as well as providing the voice of King Mufasa in the animated classic The Lion King.
In 1998, the Gladiator II actor spoke to the outlet about black representation in Hollywood at the time. He said, “There weren’t a lot of serious black actors for us to emulate,” but he mentioned Sidney Poitier and Earl Jones as two important figures.
Although Washington and the Coming to America actor never worked together, their legacies are similar. One of the biggest achievements of Jones’ career was his performance as Troy Maxson in the 1987 Broadway production of August Wilson’s Fences, for which he won a Tony Award.
Washington directed, produced and starred in its 2016 film adaptation, for which the actor received two Oscar nominations – for Best Picture and Best Actor – making him the first Black actor to receive the honour in the same year.
The American Gangster actor is currently promoting the film adaptation of another August Wilson novel, The Piano Lesson, at the Toronto Film Festival. The film, which is set to release on Netflix on November 8, tells the story of a black family in the post-Great Depression era, with a stellar cast.
John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts and Samuel L. Jackson star in the film, while the Star Wars actor co-produces alongside Todd Black.