James Earl Jones, the famous actor known for his powerful voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has passed away at the age of 93.
Jones is considered one of the greatest actors of his time, with a career that included everything from Shakespeare plays to big Hollywood movies. He is among the rare actors who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
Deadline shared the news of the actor’s passing through his agents at Independent Artist Group.
James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, but he grew up with his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. Even though he became known for having one of the most recognizable voices ever, he struggled with a stutter when he was younger.
Jones remembered in a 1996 interview, “I used to stutter a lot. I really struggled to talk. My first year in school was like my first year of being silent, and I stayed quiet for a long time until I reached high school.” A teacher helped him work through his stutter by having him read poetry out loud.
Jones was in the US Army during the Korean War, and afterward, he chose to follow his dream of becoming an actor. To make ends meet, he worked as a janitor while studying at the American Theatre Wing. By the 1960s, he had made a name for himself as one of the best Shakespearean actors of his time, taking on famous roles like Othello and King Lear. He also appeared in his first movie in Stanley Kubrick’s well-known 1964 comedy, Dr. Strangelove, where he played the character Lt. Lothar Zogg, a bombadier.
In 1967, he played a boxer in The Great White Hope, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He reprised the role in the 1970 film version, receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
Among all his famous acting jobs, Jones quickly got his most recognized and legendary role — a part where he didn’t even need to be on set: providing the voice for the evil Darth Vader in Star Wars. Although David Prowse wore the costume as Vader, Jones recorded the lines with his powerful deep voice, which helped make one of the most iconic characters in film history.
At first, Jones decided not to take credit for his role, but it turned out to be one of his most well-known performances. He kept voicing Vader for many years, appearing in the sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the prequel Revenge of the Sith, and the spin-off Rogue One. In 2022, Jones stepped away from the role, but he made a deal to allow his voice to be used in future projects through artificial intelligence and old recordings.
Jones also provided the voice of another beloved movie character, Mufasa in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. Jones later reprised the role in the 2019 remake.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Jones acted in a lot of popular Hollywood movies like Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and The Sandlot. He also earned his second Tony Award for his role in the first production of August Wilson’s play, Fences.
He was nominated for eight Emmy Awards because of his work on TV, and he won two of them in 1991. He got the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in Heat Wave and for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in Gabriel’s Fire.
Jones kept acting on Broadway too! For the last 20 years, he has been in revivals of shows like On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man, and You Can’t Take it With You.
Jones earned a lot of awards and recognition during his famous career. In 2011, he got an Honorary Academy Award, which made him one of the few people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, a group known as “EGOT.” In 2022, Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre to honor him.
Rest in peace to the iconic James Earl Jones, one of the greatest actors of our time — please share this story in memory of James Earl Jones 💔