James Earl Jones, known as the iconic voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has passed away at the age of 93 yesterday, in New York, as confirmed by his agent, Barry McPherson. Tributes poured in from numerous stars and industry luminaries.
Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill posted "#RIP dad 💔," and George Lucas expressing wrote "James will be missed by so many of us...friends and fans alike."
Jones was honored with an Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2011, and received two Emmys, three Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy. In 2022, the Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed after him to recognize his "lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community."
Jones struggled with a stutter during his childhood, which he overcame with the help of speech teacher and voice coach Nora Dunfee. "For about eight years, from the time I was 6 until I was about 14, I was virtually mute," he said.
The actor made his film debut as bombardier Lt. Lothar Zogg in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). Throughout his six-decade career, he lent his voice to various audiobooks and served as the voice for CNN's "This is CNN" tagline. His deep, booming voice became iconic, featured in various television commercials. His portrayal of Darth Vader became one of Hollywood's quintessential antagonists, ranking No. 3 in AFI's list of iconic film characters, and is hailed for his menacing baritone that left "an indelible mark" on generations.
Other notable films in which Jones performed include Coming to America, Conan The Barbarian, and Field of Dreams. He had 80 film credits.
Jones was one of the first African American actors to secure a continuous role in daytime television on As the World Turns in 1965. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Troy Maxson in Fences, being commended by The Washington Post for his ability to “move in seconds from boyish ingenuousness to near-biblical rage.” He also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for The Great White Hope, becoming the second Black man nominated, and won a Golden Globe for this performance.
His association with Star Wars spanned decades, and he reprised his voice role as Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Star Wars Rebels. Lucas noted that Jones "gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles."
He portrayed singer-actor-activist Paul Robeson on Broadway in 1977 and was notable as author Alex Haley in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generation. Reflecting on his theater work, Jones once stated, "You could say these things! That's what it's still about."
Jones health declined in his later years and he was a longtime diabetic.
"That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated," Kevin Costner, who co-starred with Jones in Field of Dreams, said.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: MyNewsLA.com, Times Now, Business Standard, PinkVilla, Daily Mail Online, fandomwire.com, gloucestershirelive.co.uk, 1063thegroove.com.