Did James Earl Jones Miss Out on Millions? Why He Chose $7K Payday Over Profit-Sharing for Iconic Darth Vader Role In First Film

James Earl Jones, fueled by his passion for acting, chose a $7,000 paycheck over a profit-sharing offer from director George Lucas for voicing Darth Vader in “Star Wars: Episode IV” back in 1977. At the time, it was simply a special effects gig for Jones, who reportedly spent just two and a half hours recording the iconic lines, according to Radar. James Earl Jones & Darth Vader (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage) Tracking the Dollars The $7,000 gig to voice Darth Vader, the iconic Sith lord, whose appearance and distinctive speech delivery by the late actor are well-known, could have made Jones much richer in his lifetime had he opted for a profit-sharing deal as that first film ultimately raked in $775 million worldwide. Jones provided the iconic voice of Darth Vader in a total of six “Star Wars” films: “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977), “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983), “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (2005) – a brief uncredited voice role, “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015) – archival audio, and “Rogue One: A...