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Actor Robert Earl Jones, father of James Earl Jones, peacefully passed away two weeks ago at the age of 96.

Most of us are familiar with his famous son, known as the voice of Verizon, but Robert Earl Jones was a famous actor in his own right long before his son’s successful career in the arts.

Starting his career as a boxer, Jones arrived in New York where his attention quickly turned to the field of acting. Jones was cast as a “low down folk” in Langston Hughes’ Don’t You Want to Be Free. Later he appeared on Broadway as the legendary boxer Joe Louis in the play Spirit of Youth. The senior Jones was also part of the group of black actors, including Paul Robeson, that were blacklisted in the 1950s for refusing to testify before the House Committee. Unlike many of his comrades, Jones was able to resume a film career after the 1950s and eventually returned to the stage alongside his son James Earl.

Robert Earl Jones is survived by his two sons, James and Matthew and one grandson.

Source: The Washington Post

Photo credit: Carl Van Vechten (1938) from Hughes’ play courtesy of the Library of Congress