Darth Vader Voice Actor Coming to Shreveport’s Geek’d Con 2025

Comic con style events have become extremely popular in Texas and Louisiana. Dozens of high quality events take place between the two states every single year. The peak of the season comes during the summer months, and one of the longest-running favorites in this world is Shreveport's Geek'd Con.

Celebrate a Decade of Fandom at Geek'd Con Shreveport

Shreveport's comic con, Geek'd Con, is coming back to Downtown Shreveport, August 22nd through 24th. The 2025 Geek'd Con will be the 10th anniversary event, at the Shreveport Convention Center. The event has hosted tons of celebrities over the last 10 years; from movie stars to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members, with viral internet celebrities and professional wrestlers mixed in as well.

A Decade of Star Wars in Shreveport: From Chewbacca to Vader

All the way back in 2015, the first headline guest Geek'd Con ever hosted was the late Peter Mayhew. He was known as the man behind Chewbacca, the legendary Star Wars Wookie. Fans had a great time meeting Peter in Shreveport, and Star Wars became a big part of the event since.

Geek'd Con has gone on to host more Star Wars guests, including Sam Witwer (Darth Maul), Matthew Wood (General Grievous), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), David Acord (FN-2199, voice of Grogu), Dorian Kingi (Cad Bane suit), Chris Bartlett (various droids, including C-3PO in Obi-Wan Kenobi), Barry Lowin (Din Djarin stunts), Clint Howard (Ralakili), Ross Marquand (LEGO Star Wars Han Solo), and Barry Hanley (Gamorrean Fighter).

Meet the Voice of Darth Vader from Obi-Wan Kenobi at Geek'd Con 2025

That tradition will continue this year, as Geek'd Con will host Darth Vader's voice from Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dorian Gregory.

Now, if your familiar with the show Obi-Wan Kenobi, your first reaction might be "I though Hayden Christensen was back and playing Vader", and you would be correct. But Hayden played the role in parts of the show where Vader was unmasked, even partially. But when Vader was full "Vader", it was a team of stunt men in the suit, and a voice actor, bringing him to life.

That voice actor, was Dorian Gregory.

Beyond Star Wars: Dorian Gregory's Famous Roles (Charmed, Soul Train & More)

You might recognize Dorian from his main roles in Charmed or Baywatch Nights, but you might also remember him as the final host of the legendary show Soul Train. But now, Star Wars fans are getting to know Dorian after he lent his vocal talents to one of the most iconic film characters ever created.

The Secret Behind Darth Vader's Voice in Obi-Wan Kenobi: AI and the Legendary James Earl Jones

But when you check the credits for Dorian's name in Obi-Wan Kenobi, you won't find it. Instead, the voice role is attributed to the late James Earl Jones...the legend that brought Vader to life at the start. While the sound of Jones was used to make Vader's voice in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it wasn't actually Jones reading the lines.

All of the Vader lines in the show were read by two people: Hayden Christensen and Dorian Gregory.

What happened after that, is a little upsetting to some. Disney and Lucasfilm took the lines ready by Hayden Christensen and Dorian Gregory and used AI (artificial intelligence) technology to make them SOUND like James Earl Jones. Blending voices to create the final product seen in the show.

The AI technology used by Disney is called Respeecher, and it was previously used in their production of The Mandalorian to make Mark Hamill sound younger when he appeared in the show. The use of AI in creative content production is a hot button issue in the arts world. But based on the way Disney and Lucasfilm applied it here might be the only acceptable way for some.

The Human Touch: How Dorian Gregory Brought Vader to Life On Set

Disney went to incredible lengths to make sure that there was still a human element to Vader's voice, and not just the AI. This included Dorian Gregory actually being on-set to perform as Darth Vader during filming.

According to numerous interviews and reports, Disney had constructed a sound booth on the set, that was broadcasting to the actors during filming. So as Dorian Gregory read his Darth Vader lines, the actors were hearing it in real-time. While Dorian was also able to observe what the actors were doing at the same time. The actors have described it as a "dance" between the two, with the tone of the lines directing the actors intent to their actions.

So while some may be upset at Disney for using AI to keep James Earl Jones' voice alive on-screen, they can take some comfort in knowing that the human part of the production is still alive. And that human part of Darth Vader's voice is Dorian Gregory.

Meet Darth Vader's Voice and the Cast of Charmed at Geek'd Con This August!

You can meet Dorian Gregory, and talk about his experience as Darth Vader, at Geek'd Con in Shreveport this August. Tickets are on-sale now, and you can get them right here. You can also meet Dorian's castmates from the show Charmed at Geek'd Con, with a mini-reunion taking place. Rose McGowan, Holly Marie Combs, and Brian Krause will also be appearing at the show, and you can get a photo op with all four. Those are available right here.