James Earl Jones, the American actor who voiced iconic film characters such as Darth Vader in the *Star Wars* saga and Mufasa in the animated classic *The Lion King*, passed away this Monday at the age of 93 at his home in Dutchess County, New York, as confirmed by his representatives and reported by *Deadline*. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Born in 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones was considered one of the first great Black actors of his generation. His deep and powerful voice brought to life some of cinema’s most memorable characters, including Darth Vader in the original *Star Wars* trilogy, *Revenge of the Sith*, *Rogue One*, *The Rise of Skywalker*, and the *Star Wars Rebels* series. The last time audiences heard his voice as Darth Vader was in the *Obi-Wan Kenobi* miniseries, where it was generated by AI using old recordings of the actor. He was also the voice of Mufasa in the 1994 version of *The Lion King*, as well as its 1998 sequel and the 2019 remake.
Jones’ prolific career spanned 60 years, during which he appeared in nearly 200 screen productions. His big-screen debut came in *Dr. Strangelove* under the direction of Stanley Kubrick. He rose to fame in 1970 with his role in *The Great White Hope*, where he portrayed the first African American heavyweight boxing champion of the U.S. His performance in this film earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1971. Although he did not win the Oscar that year, he received an honorary Oscar in 2012.
Among his other notable film roles were *Claudine* (1974), *Conan the Barbarian* (1982), *Field of Dreams* (1989) alongside Kevin Costner, *The Hunt for Red October* (1990), *Patriot Games* (1992), and *Coming to America* (1988 and 2021). Jones also contributed his famous voice to CNN’s identification: “This is CNN,” and was a highly sought-after voice actor for commercials and narrations.
Jones was one of the rare performers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony over the course of his career. He won three Emmys, including two in 1991—one for Best Actor in a Drama Series for *Gabriel’s Fire* and another for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special for *Heat Wave*. He also won two Tony Awards, one for his role in *The Great White Hope* (before it was adapted for the screen) and another for *Fences*. In addition to these achievements, he won a Grammy in 1977 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1992 by President George Bush. In 2002, he was honored by the Kennedy Center, and in 2017, Harvard University granted him an honorary doctorate.
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Jones’ career began traditionally in classical theater. He debuted on Broadway in 1958 with *Sunrise at Campobello*, which won the Tony Award for Best Play. He studied at the University of Michigan on a scholarship, performing Shakespearean classics and reciting poetry, a talent that helped him overcome a childhood stutter. In a 2014 interview with the *Los Angeles Times*, he remarked, “If I hadn’t been a stutterer, I would never have been an actor.”
After serving as a lieutenant during the Korean War, Jones moved to New York to pursue a theater career, where he met his father for the first time, having been raised primarily by his mother and grandparents. His father had pursued a theater career of his own but had little success.
In New York, Jones worked various jobs while studying at Lee Strasberg’s renowned school and performing Off-Broadway. He appeared in Shakespearean plays and works by Jean Genet, gaining acclaim for his theatrical work. His dedication to acting was remarkable; as *The New York Times* noted, he performed in 18 plays over 30 months and often worked on as many as six films per year, in addition to voice work, commercials, and documentary narrations.
Jones married fellow actor Julienne Marie in 1978, though the couple divorced in 1982. He later married Cecilia Hart, with whom he spent nearly 35 years until her passing in 2016 from ovarian cancer. The couple had one son, Flynn Earl Jones, a voice actor.
Jones’ contributions to cinema, television, and theater have left an indelible mark on entertainment, ensuring his legacy as one of the most distinguished actors of his time.
