Biden pays tribute to James Earl Jones and reflects on shared struggle with childhood stuttering

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — President Joe Biden is remembering the late intrepid actor James Earl Jones.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Biden wrote about last seeing Jones when the actor accepted the Lincoln Medal for his “exemplary character and accomplishments on film and stage.”

“I admired him for something else as well, something we both had in common – overcoming a childhood stutter to find our voice for something bigger than ourselves,” added Biden, who has been open about his lifelong struggle with stuttering.

Biden continued to write that Jones’ “legendary voice boomed wherever it was heard, an instrument and imprint that reverberated in the hearts of audiences worldwide.”

Jones died Monday, according to his agent. He was 93.

Before Jones’ commanding voice brought life to beloved film characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King” – as well as being the voice of CNN – a traumatic move he experienced as a child caused him to develop a stutter.

His fear of speaking rendered him almost mute until his high school poetry teacher encouraged him to read his poems aloud, helping him overcome his disability.

Once he found his voice, it became one of the most recognizable in pop culture.

Jones had a decades-long career in Hollywood, starring in movies such as “The Sandlot,” “Field of Dreams” and “Coming to America,” among many others.

“Through iconic characters, film, stage, commercials, radio, and more, his voice carried a sense of grace and dignity that commanded respect and demanded to be heard,” Biden’s statement on Tuesday read.

His roles, Biden wrote, “made us stop, stayed with us, and inspired us to reflect on everything from race and power, good and evil, to our place in the world.”

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