Center for Black Visual Culture.
Jan. 17, 1931 – Sep. 9, 2024.
We honor James Earl Jones, who was a pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry. Best known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen, he is one of the few performers to achieve EGOT status(Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Mr. Jones was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.
Photo: Mr. Jones as Othello in the Broadway revival of the play in New York in 1981
Credit: Martha Swope/The New York Public Library