James Earl Jones's Legendary Career Included an All-Time Great Sitcom Cameo

Following the news of his death at the age of 93, many are looking back on the career of James Earl Jones and reveling in some of his most iconic performances. Although he was best known for his booming voice, which lent itself to characters like Mufasa and Darth Vader, James was a versatile actor who accomplished a great deal throughout his career.

As some look back on the roles that matter most to them, though, they're reminded of the time he showed up on The Big Bang Theory to the delight of Sheldon, the show's central nerd. Strangely, the cameo was also the first time that James actually got to meet another Star Wars legend.

The cameo starts after Sheldon spots James sitting alone in a restaurant. When he approaches him, James initially seems surly, annoyed that Sheldon doesn't seem to know him from anything besides Star Wars. Eventually, though, he lets his guard down, and the two of them go on a wild ride through Los Angeles that includes a sauna, a strip club, and a visit to the home of another member of the Star Wars cast.

During one moment from their night out together, Sheldon and James play "ding-dong-ditch" at the door of none other than Carrie Fisher. Carrie comes to the door wielding a bat, telling James that this apparently regular prank "isn't funny anymore."

Strangely, enough, this cameo was actually the first time that Carrie and James actually worked together on a set.

Even though he played Darth Vader's voice in the original trilogy, James was never on set, as David Prowse was the actor inside the suit. James recorded Vader's dialogue afterward, which meant that he and Carrie never had any real reason to cross paths. The Big Bang Theory is ultimately what got the two of them to work together, although even in the episode as it aired, the two share no screen time (James and Sheldon run off-screen before Carrie answers the door).

While James's cameo on The Big Bang Theory is iconic, it is only one small piece of a body of work that extends far beyond his voiceover roles. On the stage, he was known to be a fearsome presence and originated roles in the plays of August Wilson. And, on the big screen, he had a career that spanned decades and included several performances that proved him to be an incredible talent.

It's nice, though, that James was so willing to embrace the roles that people knew him for late in his life. Darth Vader may not have been the work he was proudest of, but it's almost undoubtedly the role that will cast the longest shadow. His voice will live on for decades, even if he never spent a day on the set of any of those movies.