WHAT ACTOR suffered from a stutter so severe that he was "functionally mute" for eight years as a child? He originated the role of Jack Jefferson in the stage version of The Great White Hope and won a Tony for it, and won a Golden Globe when he reprised the role in the movie version. (He also was nominated for an Academy Award for that performance but did not win -- the only nomination of his career, believe it or not.)
JAMES EARL JONES