Here's How Much James Earl Jones Is Really Worth

From Mufasa to Darth Vader and plenty of roles in between, James Earl Jones has starred in plenty of cult-favorite movies. And while it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when fans think of the actor, Jones played King Jaffe Joffer in the fan-favorite 1988 Eddie Murphy movie Coming to America. And with the sequel on the horizon in 2021, fans may be wondering how much the actor is worth.

Jones — who won a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2017, along with plenty of other accolades and nominations — is sitting on a healthy nest egg, thanks to his extensive filmography. And considering the fact that he plays an essential character in one of the most famous movie series in history, it stands to reason that Jones is pretty well-off.

Here's how much the actor is worth — and why his earnings aren't as high as they could have been.

James Earl Jones' net worth is $40 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. But if he'd known how successful the Star Wars franchise would be, he could have made a lot more dough.

If you think Jones earned a huge payday for the first Star Wars movie, think again. The actor has shared in various interviews over the years that he made just $7,000 the first time he played Darth Vader. "I lucked out to get a job that paid me $7,000, and I thought that was good money," Jones said to the American Film Institute in 2009. "And I got to be a voice on a movie."

While up-and-coming actors can expect to be paid less than their more famous counterparts, $7,000 still sounds pretty low. As it turns out, the paycheck was because of a decision Jones himself made during the film's production. Celebrity Net Worth explains that because he didn't know how successful Star Wars would be, Jones opted for a cash payment upfront, rather than a percentage of the movie's earnings. The site points out that if he'd chosen the percentage, Jones could have earned "tens of millions" more.

As for the later Star Wars movies, it's safe to guess that Jones earned more than $7,000 for his work as Darth Vader. Still, his net worth might be higher if he'd made a different decision about A New Hope.