Biden honors James Earl Jones and reflects on the common fight against childhood stuttering

CNN
—

President Joe Biden remembers the late intrepid actor James Earl Jones.

In a statement released Tuesday, Biden wrote that he last saw Jones when the actor accepted the Lincoln Medal for his “exemplary character and achievements in film and stage.”

“I also admired him for something else, something we both had in common – overcoming childhood stuttering to find our voice for something bigger than ourselves,” added Biden, who spoke openly about his lifelong struggle with stuttering.

Biden went on to write that Jones’ “legendary voice boomed wherever it was heard, an instrument and an impression that resonated in the hearts of audiences worldwide.”

Jones died on Monday, according to his agent. He was 93 years old.

Before Jones used his powerful voice to bring popular movie characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King” to life – and was also the voice of CNN – he began to stutter as a result of a traumatic move he experienced as a child.

Fearful of speaking, he was nearly mute until his high school poetry teacher encouraged him to read his poems aloud, helping him overcome his disability.

Once he found his voice, it became one of the most recognizable in pop culture.

Jones has had a decades-long career in Hollywood, appearing in films such as “The Sandlot,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Coming to America.”

“In iconic characters, in films, on stage, in advertising, on radio and more, his voice conveyed a sense of grace and dignity that commanded respect and demanded to be heard,” Biden’s statement said Tuesday.

His roles, Biden wrote, “made us pause, stuck with us, and inspired us to think about everything from race and power, good and evil, to our place in the world.”