James Earl Jones Didn't Believe His Own Pivotal Star Wars Scene

CBR

James Earl Jones Didn't Think Darth Vader Was Really Luke's Father

By Monique Jones

Published Dec 15, 2017

James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, didn't believe the big Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back twist when he first read it.

Even though James Earl Jones delivered Darth Vader's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back quote "Luke, I am your father," the most notable moment in Star Wars franchise history, Jones didn't initially believe the plot twist was real.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed a previous interview with Jones in which he discussed his disbelief that Vader was actually Luke's paternal father:

"When I first saw the dialogue that said, 'Luke, I am your father,' I said to myself, 'He's lying. I wonder how they are going to play that lie out?'"

In another interview, Jones also talked about how Irvin Kershner, the director of The Empire Strikes Back, helped him develop his Vader-esque delivery.

"Kersnher gave me a soundtrack with him doing the voice of Darth Vader... it was scary as hell," Jones said. "Kershner was scarier than I could ever be."

Star Wars continues its legacy of shocking fans with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which opens nationwide Dec. 15. One commercial spot has begged fans not to spoil the biggest reveals for others, which means even the most unshakable Star Wars fans might leave the theater rocked to their core.