James went to the high school in the “Dickson Rural Agricultural School” in Brethren, and he continued his studies at the “University of Michigan”, where he initially was a pre-med major. James joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps, and he excelled in that military corp. But James discovered to not be suitable to be a doctor, so he changed the major of his studies, and he attended the “University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance” where he focused on drama, graduating in 1955.

James was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the war of Korea. He kept working at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan while he waited for his orders, performing his first portrayal of Shakespeare’s Othello in 1955. He finally was called to attend the Ranger School at the former Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. Jones didn’t participate actively to the war, he completed his training in the Rocky Mountains, and he was promoted first lieutenant before his discharge.

James moved to New York, where he studied at the “American Theatre Wing”. James got many roles as a stage actor, and he also won a Tony Awards in 1969 for “The Great White Hope”, and in 1987 for “Fences”. Among his most important plays there are many Shakespearean roles, like Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet.

During his long and successful career, James worked in theatres, but also in TV and on the movies, and he had many voice roles as well, thanks to his deep voice. His filmography is a really long list of successful roles: he’s been in "Dr. Strangelove" (1964), "The Comedians" (1967), "The Comedians in Africa" (1967), "The End of the Road" (1970), "The Great White Hope" (1970), "King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis" (1970), "Malcolm X" (1972), "The Man" (1972), "Claudine" (1974), "The River Niger" (1976), "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" (1976), "Swashbuckler" (1976), "Deadly Hero" (1976), "The Greatest" (1977), "Star Wars" (1977), "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977), "The Last Remake of Beau Geste" (1977), "A Piece of the Action" (1977), "The Bushido Blade" (1979), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "The Flight of Dragons" (1982), "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), "Blood Tide" (1982), "Return of the Jedi" (1983), "City Limits" (1985), "Soul Man" (1986), "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" (1986), "Gardens of Stone" (1987), "My Little Girl" (1987), "Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night" (1987), "Matewan" (1987), "Coming to America" (1988), "Three Fugitives" (1989), "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Best of the Best" (1989), "Convicts" (1990), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "The Ambulance" (1990), "Grim Prairie Tales" (1990), "Scorchers" (1991), "Patriot Games" (1992), "Freddie as F.R.O.7" (1992), "Sneakers" (1992), "Dreamrider" (1993), "Sommersby" (1993), "The Sandlot" (1993), "Excessive Force" (1993), "The Meteor Man" (1993), "Naked Gun 33?: The Final Insult" (1994), "Clean Slate" (1994), "The Lion King" (1994), "Clear and Present Danger" (1994), "Jefferson in Paris" (1995), "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1995), "Judge Dredd" (1995), "A Family Thing" (1996), "Good Luck" (1996), "Casper: A Spirited Beginning" (1997), "Gang Related" (1997), "Primary Colors" (1998), "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" (1998), "Our Friend, Martin" (1999), "On the Q.T." (1999), "Undercover Angel" (1999), "The Annihilation of Fish" (1999), "Fantasia 2000" (1999), "Finder's Fee" (2001), "Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street" (2001), "Robots" (2005), "The Sandlot 2" (2005), "The Benchwarmers" (2005), "Click" (2006), "Scary Movie 4" (2006), "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" (2008), "Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey" (2009), "Jack and the Beanstalk" (2009), "Star Tours—The Adventures Continue" (2011), "Gimme Shelter" (2013), "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" (2014), "Driving Miss Daisy" (2014), "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016), "Warning Shot" (2018), and he will be in the movie "The Lion King" in the next year (2019).