Before he voiced Darth Vader and Mufasa, James Earl Jones played Lear, Claudius, and Othello. Jones graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955 and began his extensive acting career in theater, frequently performing in Shakespearean works such as The Merchant of Venice (1962), Coriolanus (1965), Othello (1964–65), and Hamlet (1972). For Shakespeare’s birthday, listen to Jones share his insights on the character of Othello with Studs Terkel as he prepared to play that role for the fifth time. Listen now.

Explore the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, which features more than 1,200 programs and interviews with the twentieth century’s most fascinating people. Browse the archive.