Whoopi Goldberg shared stories with Denzel Washington at James Earl Jones Memorial

Denzel Washington called him the “Northern Star.” Whoopi Goldberg said, “It was heaven to see him on stage.” Some of the most notable names in show business are sometimes emotional send-offs, which came together at Times Square for the starry sky on Monday afternoon and died last year at the age of 93.

Over 90 minutes, at the Broadway theatre, which was named after him on Manhattan's West 48th Avenue, the packed houses laughed, cried, and shared many personal stories that not only painted bright pictures of Jones, but also cast him as a key figure who encouraged fellow actors to reach their personal best.

In a brief speech, Denzel Washington described Jones as personified grace, power and dignity. Washington, who is currently appearing in the Roadway Revival of “Othello,” a role Jones created himself on Broadway more than 60 years ago, said he wanted to be as good a stage actor as Jones. “He was powerful, he was present, purposeful and humble,” Washington said. “He is not only a great African American actor, but in my opinion, he is one of the greatest actors ever to compete on the Broadway stage.”

Actress Linda Powell recalled starring with Jones in the Broadway Revival of “On Golden Pond,” which opened 20 years ago this week. She said Jones pushed her to be cast in the role of his daughter. “It was one of the best jobs of my life, one of the best experiences of my life, and his faith in me was a gift,” she said.

Phylicia Rashad recalls seeing Jones perform as a young adult, and later performed as a big mom to the big daddy on Broadway's 2008 “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Frankie Fayson, Candice Bergen, Glynn Terman and Kelsey Grammer were also present, sharing similar stories of Jones' generosity, with Lawrence Fishburne and Mark Hamill delivering a short video message.

Whoopi Goldberg, who worked in the “The Lion King” films with Jones, said he never offered a “bad” performance. “When I think about Broadway, when I think about people of color, when I think about black men doing extraordinary things, I think about him.”

There were also reminiscences from some of the closest people to Jones, including his first cousins ​​Terry Connolly and Tracy Contley Johnson. They said Jones introduced them to poetry, black literature and helped them build homes for other families.

Jones' son, Flynn Earl Jones, 42, continued his relatively short story at the end of the memorial, but more can be said in an interview that afternoon. He described his father as “irritatingly humble,” adding that it is difficult to compete for his humility. “People consider him to be the king, the president, the leader of criminal organizations, the magician dictator of ancient Atlanteans, and the father of the whole world,” Flynn said. “He was one of the simplest, humble, clever, and most curious.”

Jones, whose illustrious career spans television, film and stage, passed away in September. His path to success and fame was not smooth. His parents abandoned him as a young child and were raised by grandparents on a farm in Dublin, Michigan. At a young age, he became very talked about and stopped talking completely while he was isolated for years due to his silence. He later learned to control obstacles in his speech with the help of an English teacher who encouraged him to write and recite poems. Jones said his studs led to his career as an actor.

Jones became a Broadway fixture throughout his career. He made his mark with classical, experimental theatre and plays by contemporary writers. He first worked on Broadway in 1957. As a study of a short-lived play called “Eguguhead,” the following year he played a role in “The Sunrise of Campobello,” which ran for 16 months in the same theater as the Monday's additional service ceremony. (The James Earl Jones Theatre, formerly known as the Court Theatre, was renamed in 2022 in Jones' honor after George Floyd's death two years ago, after black artists sought greater recognition.)

Overall, he appeared in 21 Broadway productions and won two competitive Tony Awards for Best Actor. In 1969, he created the role of Troymaxon in Wilson's “Fence” in August. He also won a special Tony in 2017 for his lifetime achievement.

Jones was a regular presence in the theatrical world that resonated with a generation of young black actors who not only portrayed the audience but also enjoyed seeing male actors in key roles. Among them was Courtney B. Vance, who played the son of Jones' character in “Fence” on Broadway in 1987. On Monday, Vance recited Wilson's performance in the emotional compliment that August caused applause.

In front of the monument – as guests gathered in the theater lobby to exchange greetings and embraces, Vance recalls Jones and the “fence” cast of “fence” looked after him and became patient with him “until I speed up.”

“I literally didn't know the scene from behind the scenes,” he said.

Vance remained friends with Jones and last saw him at his home in upstate New York during the pandemic. Jones joked that his family kept him in the bubble and thought he was 100 years old.