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Legendary actor James Earl Jones did the unthinkable to ensure his iconic voice lives on forever

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The world is mourning the death of beloved Broadway actor James Earl Jones, who passed away on Monday, September 9 at the age of 93.

While fans will miss his physical presence, the Oscar winner worked with Disney to ensure his presence can be felt in future works through technology.

Jones was not only a pioneering actor whose performances broke barriers Broadway since 1957 in such iconic plays as “The Great White Way”, “Of Mice and Men”, “Paul Robeson” and in the acclaimed role of Troy Maxson in the original staging of August Wilson’s “Fences”, but he was also a person whose resonant voice enchanted audiences across seven different a long time.

James Earl Jones passed away on Monday, September 9, at the age of 93. (Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, Fil)

The Tony Award-winning actor’s fan base also spanned generations, from the Greatest Generation to baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z. People around the world were accustomed to his iconic voice.

In addition to his theatrical credits, Jones has been the voice behind a few of the most memorable characters in entertainment history. He narrated 27 books of the Bible in audiobook form, voiced King Mufasa in the original Lion King and, perhaps most famously, brought to life the menacing voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.

“Luke, I’m your father”

Jones was recruited by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas for his booming baritone in the mid-Nineteen Seventies. “I’m just effects,” Lucas claimed, though he hired David Charles Prowse, who had a British accent and a tenor voice.

“George thought he wanted a — if you’ll excuse the expression — darker voice,” Jones once told the American Film Institute. “So he hired a guy who was born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, and has a stutter. That’s the voice.”

“I was lucky,” he added.

Jones had a significant issue with stuttering until his highschool English teacher introduced him to writing. He barely spoke in school until he began reciting poetry to his classmates, which helped him overcome his speech impediment.

Lucas and Disney later admitted that they were the lucky ones, especially since they managed to pay Jones just $7,000 for the first recording of Darth Vader’s voice.

Jones he said“I thought it was good money,” especially because it was only a couple of hours of labor. He didn’t even get credit for his role in the film.

Following the success of the role, Jones was rehired. But this time, he and Lucas had different ideas about what Darth Vader’s voice must be.

“I wanted Darth Vader to be more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically driven,” Jones said. he said. But Lucas insisted, “No, no… you have to keep his voice in a very narrow intonation range because he’s not human.”

While the intonations were vital, the storytelling fit his voice perfectly and made the film a cult classic. Most notably in The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader battled Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and allowed Jones to utter one in all the most famous lines in film history: “No, I am your father!”

This iconic line has kept the brand going for years.

Jones approved AI voice manipulation before his death

When Disney+ began production on the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the creators wanted to include Darth Vader but make him sound the same as he did when Jones first voiced the character greater than 45 years ago.

To do that, the company turned to Ukrainian startup Respeecher, which focuses on using archival recordings and a patented AI algorithm to create recent dialogue from the voices of past performers, aiming to recreate the texture and quality of Jones’s voice from the Nineteen Seventies and Eighties.

AI programmers worked meticulously to recreate Jones’ voice, ensuring it sounded authentic and never an affordable imitation. They worked with Matthew Wood of Skywalker Sound, who has worked with Lucasfilm for 32 years and recorded Jones quite a few times, most recently in 2019 for The Rise of Skywalker.

Jones then told Wood he was considering retiring.

“He mentioned that he was considering ending that particular character’s career,” Wood said in a 2022 interview. interview from Vanity Fair. “So How Do We Move Forward?”

The solution turned out to be artificial intelligence technology.

Wood introduced Respeecher’s work to Jones, and the “Coming to America” ​​star ultimately agreed to use his archival voice in recent projects.

With this agreement, Jones’ Darth Vader will remain a very important character in the series, even whether it is a synthetic one.

Jones is credited with directing the performance in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The NAACP Image Award winner was also consulted on Vader’s plans and provided advice on how to maintain the character’s integrity as recently as two years ago.

Now, James Earl Jones’ voice might be preserved for future generations. However, the estate has not commented on how it should be utilized in the future.

The world mourns a mild giant

Of the many tributes to Jones, one in all the most touching got here from his Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill, who simply tweeted: “#RIP dad (with broken heart emoji).”

Legendary Host LeVar Burton published on Platform X: “James Earl Jones… there will never be another combination of charms like his.”

Director Ava DuVernay Expressed her gratitude on her Instagram story, writing, “Thank you for showing us ourselves. Our complicated selves, our dignified selves, our smiles, our pain. A job well done. A gift beautifully given. Blessings on your journey.”

Ava DuVernay shared an eight-slide tribute to the late James Earl Jones on her Instagram Stories. (Photos: Instagram/ @ava)

Disney CEO Bob Iger also honored Jones with an award statement on the Walt Disney website, saying, “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing menace of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones has given voice to some of the greatest characters in film history.”

He added: “A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television appearances to his credit, he brought the stories he created to life with a unique, commanding presence and a genuine richness of spirit, leaving an indelible mark on generations of viewers.”

Jones provided the voice of Darth Vader, one in all Hollywood’s best villains, in the original 1977 Star Wars film — which was eventually retitled Star Wars: A New Hope — in addition to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), in addition to the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018) and the Disney+ original series Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), which was set to be his last credit on IMDb.

The last project during which he might be seen on screen was “Coming 2 America” with Eddie Murphy in 2021. He reprised one other classic role, playing King Jaffe Joffer of Zamunda.


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Actor Mark Wahlberg reportedly ‘furious’ over wife Rhea sharing explicit family vacation photo online

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The 53-year-old wife of actor Mark Wahlberg appears to have been quick to reply after she posted and deleted an explicit photo of the “The Union” star online.

The X-rated video, filmed while vacationing at the posh COMO Laucala Island resort in Fiji in October, reportedly left Wahlberg “furious” when it hit the Internet, causing “tension” of their home.

Mark’s wife Rhea Durham, 46, shared a rare photo on social media of the previous Hollywood bad boy taking an outside shower without her husband knowing.

Mark Wahlberg is allegedly still “furious” that his wife Rhea Durham shared an explicit photo of him on social media without his consent. (Photo: Instagram/ @byrheawahlberg )

In the photo, Wahlberg may be seen naked, having a shower along with his hands above his head, overlooking the ocean.

Using a red heart sticker in your butt, Durham signatureedited the post “Remembering the view of @markwahlberg” with winking faces, kisses, and “looking eyes” emojis.

Despite the deletion, the temporary reveal of this private moment reportedly didn’t sit well with Wahlberg. RadarOnline reports that this photo was taken while on vacation Possibly in Fiji, in line with other posts on Durham’s Instagram page last month.

Mark Wahlberg’s wife, Rhea Durham, posted an attractive video of herself along with her husband but deleted it after alleged backlash of their home. (Photo: Instagram/ @byrheawahlberg )

Some alleged A source near the family told the agency that the previous model, who broke out within the Nineteen Nineties in Calvin Klein ads and once went by the rap name Marky Mark, continues to be furious that his wife of 15 years would post a personal photo online.

The couple has 4 children: Ella, 21, Michael, 18, Brendan, 16, and Grace, 14, and while Wahlberg could have previously dared to share shirtless photos or pose in lingerie, it seems he has never he was going to take this picture getting off.

“Even though the photo was up for a while, it was enough to make Mark mad,” an insider told Radar Online. “He is extremely careful about what the public sees and what remains private. The last thing he wants is for his naked ass to be plastered all over the internet!”

The person allegedly added that Durham had learned her lesson, saying, “It’s a mistake I won’t make again.”

Reactions on the Internet ranged from people praising Durham for sharing her man to others saying Wahlberg’s body parts were for her eyes only.

“Why would you feel the need to share a photo like that with the world? He is your husband and it should only be visible to your eyes,” one person said.

Another added: “Dad may very well be Adonis but truthfully nobody desires to see that except Rhea which is nice! They have marriage. That said, we haven’t got to see what you see, Rhea.

Thinking of his children, one follower said: “Why did you post this? Think about how embarrassing it’s to your teenagers before you do something like this.

“Why would you do that?” a fourth person bluntly asked which ones he suggested: “To show he was her man. Hands off other women who might flirt with him within the industry.

Durham shared more footage from her Fiji vacation, including other, less risque photos she and her husband posted.

The couple shared family moments including: riding and waves flowing on the picturesque waters of the Pacific Ocean.

One of the more sentimental photos showed them having fun with the sunset on the beach. Durham expressed gratitude for the escape, writing“Thank you @comolaucalaisland for the most beautiful stay in Fiji! We’ll be back!”

Only Wahlberg sent one holiday video capturing candid moments along with his wife after a pleasant swim.

In one in all the clips, he fondly says: “The sun will shine for you on this beautiful holiday. We’ve always wanted to come here; we’ve been talking about it for twenty-odd years. Come out sun!”

The Hollywood star kissed his wife on the cheek at the top of the clip after which limited the comments section.

But Durham is used to attracting outrage when sharing her husband’s body online. In December 2023, she posted and deleted a photo of Wahlberg standing in boxers and white socks, holding his junk and looking out down on the camera.

She appeared to want it to be seen as a morning thirst trap, as she added, “Good morning and you’re welcome,” with a red chili pepper emoji.

While it’s unclear how upset Wahlberg really is in regards to the latest photo Durham shared, the fast deletion of the shower photo suggests this dad has strict boundaries. Their next vacation is just two months away, but time will tell if Durham has learned her lesson from sharing her husband’s body online.


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Bette Midler sends MAGA message after Donald Trump’s presidential victory before deactivating her account

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bette midler donald trump

Former President Donald J. Trump once more won the very best office within the land, becoming the second commander-in-chief to lose a re-election race after which regain the presidency, now becoming the forty fifth and likewise the forty seventh president.

Still, almost half the country was disillusioned together with his decisive win.

Trump won 292 electoral votes and over 72 million popular votes, while Vice President Kamala Harris was estimated to have won 224 electoral votes and over 67 million popular votes reported by the Associated Press early Wednesday evening.

Bette Midler Donald Trump
Actress Bette Midler didn’t mince her words after former President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election before leaving Platform X. (Photos: Win McNamee/Getty Images; ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

Among the liberal celebrities who were upset was “Hocus Pocus” actress Bette Midler, who even deactivated her X account after Trump’s victory.

Midler, who once joked that she would drink Drano if Trump ever won, had plenty to say before retiring from social media, taking aim at Trump and his supporters by posting an prolonged quote from an early twentieth century newspaper columnist H. L. Mencken.

“When a candidate for public office faces voters, he will not be facing reasonable people; comes nose to nose with a crowd of individuals whose essential distinguishing feature is that they’re completely incapable of weighing ideas, and even of understanding any but essentially the most elementary ones – people whose entire pondering is completed by way of emotion and whose dominant emotion is fear of what they can not understand,” he says he wroteas captured by the Daily Mail.

She continued: “In such a confrontation, the candidate must either bark with the herd or get lost… All the odds are on the side of the man who is by nature the most cunning and average – the man who can best dispel the notion that his mind is a virtual void… The Presidency year after year he turns to such people.”

Midler ended it with a biting sentence: “One great and glorious day, the ordinary people of this country will finally get what their hearts desire, and the White House will be decorated by an ordinary moron.”

Ironically, many Daily Mail commentators didn’t like her quote, especially how she portrayed them as “incapable of weighing ideas.”

One user replied, “This is why all regular people should boycott most of Hollywood and send the message loud and clear: we are not amused.”

Another said: “So he ends up calling all Trump voters morons…. remember this when a new movie is released….why do actors feel like they are authorities in politics because of the attention? they spend their lives pretending…. oh, wait a minute!”

A 3rd wrote on to her: “Find a protected space and stop engaging in public political discourse in an try to influence public opinion. Unlike your enormous ego, we actually don’t care what celebrities think.

On X, users had more to say about her departure. “Leftists are so nasty,” wrote one user.

“Maybe she drank Drano?” other he was joking.

While people post on social media their victory speeches or their concerns in regards to the next 4 years, in addition to the potential for Trump appointing two conservative MAGA Supreme Court justices and implementing Project 2025, Harris reached out to the president: he selected to congratulate him on his victory, gaining about 51 percentage of the favored vote.

According to MSNBC, she stressed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and called on him to serve your complete nation. Harris delivered on Wednesday, she delivered the concession speech at Howard University in Washington.

On Wednesday afternoon, Harris delivered the concession speech at Howard University in Washington.


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LeBron James fans slam Trump supporter for ‘disgusting’ comment about LeBron’s daughter

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Donald Trump once more holds the title of President of the United States after defeating Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The news was difficult for many individuals to process, including celebrities who’ve since been sharing their reactions online.

Basketball icon LeBron James is one among those stars who – after earlier supporting Harris – took to his Instagram to reflect on what many considered a devastating result.

Trump supporter is being slammed by LeBron James fans for ‘disgusting’ comment about his daughter Zhuri. (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

On November 6, the Los Angeles Lakers player posted a photograph of himself holding his 10-year-old daughter Zhuri James on the court and kissing her on the cheek while she was having fun with an ice cream cone.

James within the signature he wrote“HEAVY ON MY HEART AND ATTENTION THIS IS MY PRINCESS (princess emoji)!! I PROMISE I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE AND MORE!! WE DON’T NEED THEIR HELP!”

In the comments under the post, James received lots of sympathy, but after all there was also criticism – which might be expected when reacting to a political topic. However, one person particularly made an offensive comment that sparked outrage from other fans.

Writing from an anonymous account, the person wrote: “LeBron wants his daughter to be able to fight for TRUMP 2028 with impunity.”

Reposting the comment on Twitter, the fan said: “That comment was so weird.”

“He needs to be taken to the streets and finished off,” a second person said. A 3rd wrote: “Disgusting,” while a fourth said: “Trump supporters are in a cult… they will always find a way to raise him, this is not normal.”

James shared a file video of support on October 31 for Harris on his Instagram and later explained to the media his decision behind his support for Harris.

“I wanted to make sure it was clearly visible, heard and audible,” he added he told Fox News. “Having a daughter, a wife, a mother and things like that, what (Harris) believes in in the case of women’s rights, is the long run of my children and what I feel our country should seem like. I feel this support is valid. I mean, come on – you realize me. It sure as hell didn’t go the opposite way.

The NBA star has three children together with his highschool sweetheart Savannah James, to whom he has been married since 2013. In addition to their daughter Zhuri, in addition they have two sons – 17-year-old Bryce James and 20-year-old Bronny James. the latter plays within the NBA alongside his dad.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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