CONTACT: Diane Zucker, (914) 437-7404, [email protected]
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., May 5, 1999 -- Celebrated actor James Earl Jones will be Vassar College's 135th commencement speaker on Sunday, May 23, at 11 a.m. in Vassar's outdoor amphitheater overlooking Sunset Lake.
Jones is best known for his powerful and critically acclaimed motion picture, television, and theater performances and, since 1989, as the voice of CNN. His portrayal of the South African minister in the Alan Paton film, "Cry, the Beloved Country," promises to remain a classic. "A Family Thing," with Robert Duvall, has also brought Jones praise as an award-winning performer.
Prior to these films, Jones' voice was heard in "The Lion King," in which he plays King Mufasa. His appearance in the CBS series "Under One Roof" and in NBC's Emmy Award-winning sitcom "Frasier" brought Jones Emmy nominations. He also reprised his role as Admiral Greer with co-star Harrison Ford in "Clear and Present Danger," the third in a group of films based on the best selling books by Tom Clancy. (Jones also played Admiral Greer in "Hunt for Red October" opposite Alec Baldwin and in "Patriot Games" with Harrison Ford.)
Recent projects have included several episodes of "Homicide: Life on the Street," the feature film "Gang Related" with Jim Belushi, Dennis Quaid, and Lela Rachon, the HBO movies "Rebound" and "2nd Civil War," the CBS Movie of the Week "Timepiece," the Showtime movie "Alone" with Hume Cronyn, and a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie "What the Deaf Man Heard."
In the literary world, Jones has also received critical praise for his autobiography, "James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences," which he co-authored with Penelope Niven.
In the 1990s, along with "Patriot Games," Jones performed in "Sneakers" with Robert Redford, "Excessive Force," "Meteor Man," "Sommersby" with Jodie Foster and Richard Gere, and of course, "Field of Dreams" with Kevin Costner.
On television, Jones won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his roll in "Gabriel's Fire." He also received an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Special and an ACE Award for the TNT movie "Heat Wave."
Jones has his roots in theater. He earned Daniel Blum's Theatre World Award as Most Promising Personality in "Moon on a Rainbow Shawl" in 1962, and garnered an Obie as Best Actor in Off-Broadway Theater for his performance in "Clandestine on the Morning Line." He later received two Obies in 1965 for his work in "Baal" and "Othello."
Vassar's commencement is open to the public. However, in case of rain, commencement exercises will be held in the Walker Field House and only the invited guests of graduating seniors will be permitted to attend.
Vassar, founded in 1861, is a residential, coeducational, liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., located in the scenic Hudson River Valley. Vassar is the Time Magazine/Princeton Review 1999 College of the Year.
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