James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader sadly announced that he had passed away at the age of 93.
Jones consistently demonstrated a sense of humility concerning his position as the voice of a famous antagonist. Born in Mississippi in 1931, he faced considerable challenges due to a pronounced stutter during his early years.
The esteemed American actor, the iconic James Earl Jones, passed away early on Monday, surrounded by his family, as confirmed by his agent, Barry McPherson.
Jones appeared in numerous films, including Field of Dreams, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, and The Lion King. He was particularly renowned for providing the distinctive, gravelly voice of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader.
Mark Hamill, who portrayed Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, expressed his sorrow by posting “RIP Dad” along with a broken heart emoji while sharing a news report about the actor’s passing.
The BBC has reported that throughout his illustrious career, Jones garnered three Tony Awards, two Emmys, and a Grammy, in addition to receiving an Honorary Oscar in 2011 in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
In 1971, he made history by becoming only the second Black man to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier.
LeVar Burton, known for his role in Star Trek, was among the first to honor Jones, stating, “There will never be another of his particular combinations of graces.”
Colman Domingo, another prominent US actor, also expressed his admiration, saying, “Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best.”
In a 2009 interview with the American Film Institute, he remarked, “I’m simply special effects,” referring to his role in voicing a character portrayed by another actor. He explained, “George [Lucas] wanted, pardon the expression, a darker voice, so he hires a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, who stutters. That’s the voice, that’s me. I lucked out. From all these so-called handicaps, I lucked out to get a job that paid me $7,000, and I thought that was good money.”
In the 2004 documentary “Star Wars: Empire of Dreams,” actor James Earl Jones recounted his initial reaction upon learning that Darth Vader, the principal antagonist of the film trilogy, would disclose his identity as the long-lost father of Luke Skywalker, the central protagonist.
“I told myself, ‘This cannot be true,'” Jones reflected. “I was curious about how they would develop that deception.”
However, it was not a deception. Between 1977 and 1983, the original “Star Wars” trilogy emerged as some of the most celebrated and innovative films of their era, distinguished not only by their groundbreaking special effects but also by their unexpected narrative twists and profound themes.
Following “Star Wars,” Jones made notable appearances in Eddie Murphy’s 1988 film “Coming to America” and later starred alongside Kevin Costner in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.” A few years thereafter, he once again provided his iconic voice for a beloved character, portraying Mufasa in Disney’s animated classic “The Lion King.”
Jones had almost 200 credits to his name, according to IMDB, as he stayed active for more than 60 years, including in movies like “The Sandlot,” shows like “House” and “The Simpsons,” and in his return to a galaxy far, far away in 2004’s “Revenge of the Sith.” He came back to voice Vader several more times in recent years, including in the animated series “Rebels,” 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” and the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.“
He also reprised his role in the “Coming to America” sequel, “Coming 2 America,” in 2021.
In 2011, Jones was given an honorary Academy Award for the breadth of his acclaimed work.
It was while Jones was starring in the play “Driving Miss Daisy” in London in 2011 that he was surprised by co-star Vanessa Redgrave, who waited until the end of the show to let the crowd in on his honor that year. The cast and the academy held a special ceremony for Jones right on the stage, with Sir Ben Kingsley coming out to hand Jones his Oscar.
“If an actor’s nightmare is being onstage naked and not knowing his lines, what the heck do you call this?” he said of the surprise honor. “How do I feel? Well, more than flabbergasted. … That’s the only word I can think of for this improbable moment in my life.”
In March 2022, it was announced that Broadway’s Cort Theatre would be renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre.
Jones married twice. His second wife, Cecilia Hart, died in 2016 after 34 years of marriage. The couple is survived by their son, Flynn Earl Jones.