The late, greatJames Earl Joneshad a plethora of iconic roles during his career, from Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise to Mufasa inThe Lion King. Most of these roles, especially Vader, were brought to life via Jones' signature booming voice, to the point where Jones returned to voice both Vader and Mufasa in a variety of projects. But there’s another villain that Jones played during his career: Thulsa Doom inConan the Barbarian. Conan the Barbarianearned its renown by catapultingArnold Schwarzeneggerinto the limelight,but the film wouldn’t work without the rivalry between Conan and Doom —and how Jones makes him an utterly frightening foe.
Thulsa Doom Is More Cruel and Methodical Than Darth Vader
FromConan the Barbarian’s opening scene to its end credits,Thulsa Doom causes the title character a great deal of suffering. In his first appearance, Doom kills Conan’s parents and decimates his entire tribe, leaving the young Conan to be sold into slavery…and seeking revenge. But even as an adult, Doom continues to torment Conan. Not only does Doom have the Barbarian crucified, but he also deals a death blow to the warrior Valeria (Sandhal Bergman), who Conan had grown close to. Doom’s utter dedication to breaking Conan down, mentally and physically, sets him apart from Darth Vader. The Dark Lord of the Sith mostly uses the Force and his cybernetically enhanced strength to cut down anyone in his way.
The biggest difference between Doom and Vader lies in their use of supernatural abilities.Doom has the ability to hypnotize others into doing his bidding, even instructing a girl to hurl herself off a cliff simply because he wills it. By using fear and intimidation as his tools,Doom is a truly frightening figure because he will inflict mental wounds as well as physical ones.The full extent of Doom’s power is on displayprior to Conan’s crucifixion, as he taunts the Barbarian with how true strength lies in bending others to your will. “That is strength, boy!” Doom bellows, every word a declaration thanks to Jones' signature baritone. “That is power! What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?” It’s one of the few speeches that can match up to Conan’s infamous “What is best in life?” monologue.
James Earl Jones Helped Arnold Schwarzenegger With His Performance on ‘Conan the Barbarian’
The production ofConan the Barbarianwas a rather tumultuous one;Oliver Stonewas tapped to write the screenplay, but was passed over directorial duties in favor ofJohn Milius- who also reworked Stone’s original script. There’s also the incident regardingSchwarzenegger and a live wolfthat led to Schwarzenegger falling off a cliff. In contrast, the casting of Jones went very smoothly, with time even being carved out so that Jones could continue performing in a Broadway play.Jones also helped Schwarzenegger become a better actor. In his bookFlights of Fancy: The Great Fantasy Films,Kenneth Von Gudenrevealed that Jones would work with Schwarzenegger on delivering his lines, and in return Schwarzenegger would help Jones while working out. Looking back on the role for
The end result benefitted both actors, asSchwarzenegger gives a more rounded performance as Conan and Jones cuts a fairly imposing figure as Thulsa Doom. It also helpedConan the Barbarianto becomea major box office hit, with its sequelConan the Destroyerpremiering two years later. It also led to an explosion of roles for both Schwarzenegger and Jones, with the latter going on to star inField of DreamsandThe Hunt for Red October. Jones had his own unique take on the role,per an interview withPride Magazine:
“Regarding Conan — first of all, there was no particular reason I should have played Thulsa Doom. It was John Milius’s idea. He had written a lot of speeches derived from the sayings of evil men throughout history, so he put a Teutonic wig on my head, placed me at the top of a canyon in southern Spain overlooking the Mediterranean, and told me to cut loose.”
Regardless of his feelings about the role,James Earl Jones infused Thulsa Doom with the kind of menace and magnetism that few actors can bringto an antagonistic role. That performance helpedConan the Barbarianstand out in fantasy and ensured its status as a cult classic.
Conan the Barbarianis available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
A young boy, Conan, becomes a slave after his parents are killed and tribe destroyed by a savage warlord and sorcerer, Thulsa Doom. When he grows up he becomes a fearless, invincible fighter. Set free, he plots revenge against Thulsa Doom.
