Arnold Schwarzenegger remembered James Earl Jones as a generous colleague who welcomed him when he was new to film acting. In a tribute reproduced by TheArnoldFans on September 12, 2024, Schwarzenegger recalled that Jones read lines with him in his trailer and offered advice: “I’ll miss him, and I will never forget him.” The site reproduces the tribute, but the original post was not independently verified.
What Schwarzenegger said about James Earl Jones
Schwarzenegger’s recollection centers on a small act of generosity during the making of Conan the Barbarian. “When we filmed Conan, I was the new kid on the block, and he couldn’t have been more welcoming,” he said in the passage reproduced by TheArnoldFans.
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He remembered Jones being willing to read lines with him in his trailer and having “the perfect acting advice.” Schwarzenegger called Jones “a fantastic mentor who taught me about the craft and about Hollywood,” adding that Jones “didn’t have to do that” and that it showed “how big his heart was.” He ended: “I’ll miss him, and I will never forget him.”
How they worked together on Conan the Barbarian
Schwarzenegger and Jones were both in John Milius’s Conan the Barbarian (1982). The film’s credited director and screenwriter was Milius, and its story follows a child sold into slavery who grows up seeking revenge on the warlord who massacred his tribe. Pressman Film’s page for the film lists both actors in the cast.
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The tribute offers Schwarzenegger’s personal account of Jones’s support on the production; it does not provide further production details. Its significance is the contrast between Jones’s stature as an experienced actor and his willingness to help a newcomer learn the work.
Jones’s career extended far beyond Conan
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ biography records Jones’s Oscar nomination for Best Actor for The Great White Hope (1970), as well as his work across stage and screen. Its selected filmography includes Conan the Barbarian. To many audiences, Jones was also the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa.
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In a remembrance published by StarWars.com, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy described Jones as one of the most versatile and talented actors of his time, with an iconic body of work across film, stage, and television. George Lucas called him “an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A 2024 memorial screening honored his film work
The American Cinematheque included Conan the Barbarian in a James Earl Jones memorial series, scheduling screenings for November 1 and November 5, 2024, alongside films including Field of Dreams, Coming to America, Matewan, and The Sandlot. Those screenings are past events, not current showtimes. The series placed Schwarzenegger’s memory of Jones within a much wider body of performances that audiences continue to revisit.
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- A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
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- A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
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