The “Circle of Life” takes on new meaning now that James Earl Jones, the legendary actor and voice of “The Lion King’s” Mufasa, has passed away at the age of 93. The Voice We Almost Never Heard Jones, a Mississippi native who later moved to Michigan, faced early childhood trauma that led to a stutter and several years of not speaking, based on a CNN profile. “I was mute from grade one through freshman year in high school — mute because I just gave up on talking,” the actor explained in a 1986 interview with KCRA-3. “I can’t cut it. You’re mute that long, you become very curious about expressing yourself.” James Earl Jones Found His Voice His interest in self-expression, shaped by his early challenges, would lead to a voice that resonated across the globe. Jones’ voice became one of Hollywood’s most iconic and recognizable, a gift to the entertainment industry that reverberated for decades. The deep baritone-voiced star would go on to hone his craft at the University of Michigan in...

Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most recognizable actors in the world today. As one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, he reportedly earns a $10 million to $20 million salary for each film he stars in — and even his cameo appearances result in a hefty payday for the box office veteran. Forbes reports that Samuel L. Jackson has “the biggest cumulative total for any actor in history. That’s not even counting some pretty big titles that the site chose not to factor into the figures due to his comparatively small roles. Throw in those four titles alone, and those totals shoot up by $2.787b (like adding an Avatar ) and give Jackson $7.1B domestic and $16.26B worldwide.” It may seem easy to dismiss the actor as nothing more than a meme thanks to his starring role in films like “Pulp Fiction.” But according to Celebrity Net Worth, his acting — however meme-able — has garnered him a $250 million net worth. At the rate things are going, he just may become t he richest actor of all time (in...