One of the preeminent stage actors of his generation, James Earl Jones fell just short of film superstardom, working primarily as a supporting player (after a brief run in the 1970s as a leading man) in movies ranging from John Sayles' small independent "Matewan" (1987) to a trio of blockbusters based on the novels of Tom Clancy ("The Hunt for Red October" 1990, "Patriot Games" 1992, "Clear and Present Danger" 1994). Physically imposing at 6' 1" and well over 200 pounds, he possesses arguably the most recognizable voice in the business, a deeply resonant base that first gave authority to Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" trilogy ("Star Wars" 1977, "The Empire Strikes Back" 1980, "Return of the Jedi" 1983) before becoming the voice of CNN ("This is CNN"), the Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages (and later, its corporate evolution Verizon) and King Mustafa of "The Lion King" (1994) and its direct to video sequel (1998) among the high profile exposures for his distinctive vocal stylings....