One of the towering presences in movies, television, and theater — not to mention one of the most distinctive voices of the 20th century — has died. James Earl Jones passed away on Monday morning at his home in New York. He was 93 years old. His death was confirmed by Deadline. They did not list a cause of death.
Jones won Emmys, Grammys, and Tony Awards for his work as an actor on screens and on stage, and as a recording artist. He won several Emmys, including one for his work on Gabriel’s Fire, a Grammy for his spoken word recording of Great American Documents, and Tonys for his performances in the Broadway productions of The Great White Hope and Fences. He also received an honorary Oscar in 2011.
But Jones will be best remember for a pair of vocal performances: As Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga and as Mufasa in the original animated version of The Lion King as well as its recent remake.
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Born in Mississippi in 1931, Jones studied drama at the University of Michigan. After serving in the military, he began working as a stage actor, making the biggest early impressions of his career in productions of Shakespeare plays like Othello. The Great White Hope, a play about the struggles of a boxer, became his acting breakthrough; the role won him a Tony for Best Actor, and solidified his career as an up-and-coming star in the theater world.
Success in movies came later — most prominently as the booming, menacing voice of Darth Vader, the iconic villain of Star Wars. Jones reprised the role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and then made additional appearances as Vader in later years, including in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith and 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Jones’ career on film began in 1964 with a small role in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove; his best-known movies include The Great White Hope, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, and the ’90s kids classic The Sandlot.
In 1994, Jones voiced the wise king Mufasa in the original Lion King. He then reprised the role in Disney’s 2019 remake. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role — although a prequel is coming later this year, directed by Barry Jenkins, with Mufasa voiced by Aaron Pierre.
As for Vader, Jones quietly retired from the role in recent years; for the character’s appearance in the recent Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was revealed that Jones had “stepped back” from actively performing the part, and allowed Lucasfilm to create his dialogue using archival recordings of his voice as well as AI technology.
Jones’ accolades are almost too extensive to mention; he received the National Medal of Arts, was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, and was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor. He appeared in many of the most famous plays and movies of the 20th century. No one will forget his presence — or that incredible, distinctive voice.
