The great James Earl Jones passed away recently.  He was a tremendous force in more than just movies from a galaxy far, far away.  Though Jones was rarely a leading man, his presence almost always meant something big was happening. He was an actor who instantly brought gravitas to any movie, whether it was about kids playing baseball, horny African monarchs, or lions.

With that in mind, let’s rank Jones’ ten best non-Star Wars roles. You will notice a pattern emerge in these performances.

10. Field of Dreams (1989)

The late 1980s to early ’90s had a surplus of baseball movies, and Field of Dreams is to blame for that. It was a huge hit, that gave baseball fans a reason to mindlessly mutter “build it, and they will come” as some deeply spiritual mantra.

While baseball is the central plot device, the movie is really about the spiritual and emotional journey of men reconciling with their fathers.  On cue, Jones is the catalyst that unlocks Ray’s (Kevin Coster) journey of redemption. 

A lot of people adore this movie for its uplifting messages and sentimental innocence.  However, it does require some serious suspension of disbelief.  Also, Jones’ role is diminished next to Costner, which is why I dropped it down to the last item on the list.  Jones does get a pivotal scene when he delivers the famous “If you build it, they will come” message.

Jones was in another baseball movie, Sandlot, a few years later. They are both good baseball flicks, However, Jones turns in a more enjoyable performance in Field of Dreams, even if he has to cede time to pretty-boy Costner.

9. Gimme Shelter (2013)

Perhaps not the most enjoyable movie to watch, but it also has a powerful message.  Gimme Shelter follows Apple (Vanessa Hudgens), a pregnant, homeless teenager who endures horrific treatment from her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson) and indifferent father (Brenden Fraser). 

Jones has a brief role as a kindly chaplain who takes Apple under his wing and helps her move into a shelter for pregnant young women.  Once again, Jones is the catalyst for the main character’s redemption. 

The movie is based on a true story and has a gritty, grainy documentary feel to it. Hudgens’ performance is the high point, while the preachy scenes with Ann Dowd are a little less enjoyable.  However, Jones, as always, gives the movie a lot of authenticity.  Apparently, both Fraser and Jones donated their salaries for this movie to the real shelter this movie is based upon.

8. Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980)

Here is the story of a real Darth Vader, insane cult leader Jim Jones who convinced almost 1,000 people to follow him to South America and their own deaths.  I remember discovering this movie on cable TV in the 1980s and was captivated by the story and brilliant casting choices. This movie has a ton of accomplished character actors early in their career such as Veronica Cartwright, Brenda Vaccaro, Brad Dourif, LeVar Burton, Irene Cara and pierce-your-soul-with-her-eyes Meg Foster. 

Jones has a small but impactful role as Father Divine, who lays out the justifications for Jones to become the cult leader.  If Gimme Shelter was too preachy for you, then this movie is the inverse of that, showing the evil side of religion.

7. Sneakers (1992)

Many of my fellow cybersecurity professionals credit this movie for inspiring them.  While the security aspects of the movie are dubious, the story is a blast and the cast is even better.  Once again, Jones enters late, has a small role, and huge impact on the plot.  Jones plays a government agent, who exasperatingly negotiates with the Sneakers team. It is a fantastic scene, and Jones is awesome.  How come none of my PCI compliance projects ended this way?

6. Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Jones may have been the voice of Darth Vader, but other actors had to do the on-screen work.  In Conan, Jones’s entire library of acting skills are on full display as the menacing villain Thulsa Doom.  You could argue, much like Star Wars is Vader’s story, Conan the Barbarian is Doom’s story.  Doom sets the movie in motion, torments Conan the whole way, and becomes Conan’s final salvation. Jones and Schwarzenegger supposedly worked closely throughout the movie and became close friends.  Their on-screen chemistry was clear for all to see.

5. Roots: The Next Generation (1979)

Jones, playing author Alex Haley, interviews the head of the U.S. Nazi party, George Lincoln Rockwell played to maximum Apocalypse Now brooding by Marlon Brando.

Do you need any more reason to watch this series?

The scene is terrifyingly tense.  Brando pours on the Brando.  Jones is a cool cucumber.  The whole sequence is awash in fascist imagery.  While this second installment of the famous Roots series was less engaging than the first, Jones provides a soaring and pitch-perfect ending to one of the greatest television series of all time.

4. The Hunt for the Red October (1990)

In a movie filled with outstanding performances, Jones once again is a critical plot catalyst as Admiral James Greer. As super-smart CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alex Baldwin) tries to get onboard the super quiet Soviet submarine Red October to convince James Bond, er I mean super suave Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) to defect, he desperately needs a super slick cover story.  With the U.S. Navy hunting down the sub, the Soviet crew floats on the ocean, having been evacuated due to a phony radiation leak.  Enter Jones, who stops the torpedo at the last second, saves the day, and enables Jack to snatch Ramius and his big sub.

But of course, he was never here.

3. The Lion King (1994)

You knew this one was coming.  It is difficult to imagine this movie without Jones’ sonorous baritone as king Mufasa.  Unlike his Vader voice, Jones gives Mufasa a regal, wise tone infused with Jones’ endless well of gravitas.  This is one of the rare roles where Jones is not the catalyst for everything else. Quite the opposite, he is the tragedy.  Playing opposite to Jermey Irons as Scar was a brilliant casting choice.

I think it is safe to say, that Jones had this role in the bag the moment Disney considering making it. That is probably because of the first movie on this list, as you will see.

2. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

This Stanley Kubrick masterpiece was one of Jones’ first roles.  It also was his first time being a significant catalyst to the plot.  Jones plays the bombardier Lt. Lothar Zogg. In the final scene, when the B-52 bomber is heading to the Soviet Union, Zogg is the person who discovers the broken bomb-bay doors. This leads the captain of the plane, a zany Slim Pickens, to the bomb bay to investigate, and ultimately take a ride down on a nuclear bomb.  Jones’ role may have been small, but like so many of his roles, his impact was huge.

1. Coming to America (1988)

This is Jones at his quintessential, regal best. Of all the great characters Jones played, his time as King Jaffe Joffer is the most enjoyable to watch. Once again, Jones is the catylst for the main character, booting his snotty son Akeem (Eddie Murphy) out of the palace to “sow his wild oats.” Of course, we know what happens next – hijinks. Lots of them. King Jones returns later in the movie to get a lesson in humility from Akeem. Its a fun balancing act between two actors at the highth of their careers.

Performing alongside Eddie Murphy and his domineering personality is a daunting task for any actor.  However, Murphy shows immense deference and respect to Jones, not only because he plays his father in the movie, but because Murphy knows Jones is a fundementally better actor.  Jones would return for the sequel in 2022, which was fun and nostalgic, but nowhere near as good as the first. However, it was good to see Jones as king one last time.