James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor of stage and screen, well known for his deep basso voice. He has appeared in many roles since, but is best known as the sinister voice of Lord Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. Darth Vader was portrayed in costume by Dave Prowse in the original trilogy, with Jones dubbing Vader's dialogue in postproduction. At his own request, he was originally uncredited for the first two released films: