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WE REMEMBER ROBERT EARL JONES: Actor and father of James Earl Jones dies at age 96.
*Actor Robert Earl Jones, a veteran Broadway and film star and the father of actor James Earl Jones, has died at the age of 96.
The Senotobia, Miss. native, who worked as a sharecropper, then became a boxer before taking up acting in New York City, died Sept. 7 at the Lillian Booth Actors' Home in Englewood, NJ, according to the home and Dale Olson, his son's agent.
After arriving in New York to seek acting jobs, poet Langston Hughes cast Jones in an early role in the Harlem Suitcase Theatre. The actor went on to star as boxer Joe Louis in “Spirit of Youth” and other films and Broadway productions before his career took a hit in the 1950s, when he was blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House un-American Activities Committee.
In the late 50s, Jones’ film career picked up again and he starred in more than 20 films during a career that extended into the 1990s. His credits include "Odds Against Tomorrow," "Wild River," "The Sting" and "Witness." His stage work included several productions with his son, James Earl Jones.
Robert Earl Jones, who was also an avid runner and participated in the New York City marathon in 1996, is survived by James Earl Jones, another son Matthew Earl Jones and a grandson. Funeral services were private.
