Widely regarded as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors, James Earl Jones was a veteran entertainer who has enjoyed a long and productive career spanning over five decades. Also a voice actor, he voiced the character of ‘Darth Vader’ in the ‘Star Wars’ film franchise. Given the tremendous success he achieved as a film and voice actor, it is hard to believe that he was once a shy, self-conscious child who suffered from stuttering. He worked hard to overcome stuttering with the help of his teacher. Initially, he had no plans to become an actor and was intent on studying medicine. However, he soon realized that medicine was not his real calling and joined the military during the ‘Korean War.’ It was during this period that he discovered his love for acting and became involved with the ‘Ramsdell Theatre.’ He made his Broadway debut after being discharged from the military and went on to have a successful stage career that earned him several awards and accolades. He made a smooth transition to films with the role of ‘Lt. Lothar Zogg’ in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.’ He also made several appearances in television series.