Which actor portrayed the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy?

James Earl Jones portrayed the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. His deep, commanding delivery became one of the most recognizable vocal performances in film, even though David Prowse physically played Vader inside the armor.

Jones voiced Vader in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). He was initially uncredited in the first two films because he considered the voice contribution relatively small and did not want recognition for it. His name appeared in the credits for Return of the Jedi.

The production separated Vader's physical and vocal performances partly because George Lucas felt Prowse's West Country English accent did not suit the character. Orson Welles was considered for the voice, but Lucas decided audiences would recognize him too easily. A common mix-up is therefore David Prowse: he played Vader's body and movements, while Jones supplied the iconic voice.