Star Wars icon James Earl Jones passes away at 93
Hollywood legend James Earl Jones has died at the age of 93.
The actor, most known for his roles as Darth Vader in Star Wars and as the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King, died at his home in New York this morning.
His representatives from Independent Artist Group confirmed the news to Deadline.
Jones’s cause of death has not yet been revealed.
He is one of the very few stars to have achieved EGOT status, after multiple Emmys, a Grammy, an Oscar, and three Tony Awards throughout his incredible career.
He won his two Tonys for his stage work in a production of The Great White Hope in 1969 and for plating Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Fences.
Jones also received a Special Tony Award in 2017, which sat alongside his honorary Academy Award of 2012.
Additionally, his two Emmy wins came in 1991 – for lead actor in a drama series for Gabriel’s Fire and supporting actor in a miniseries or a special for Heat Wave.
His more recent appearances included roles in 2017’s The Gin Game on Broadway.
Born on 17 January, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones overcame a profound childhood stutter to become one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, with an instantly recognizable voice to match.
He studied drama at university and stepped into the spotlight thanks to his efforts at the Ramsdell Theatre in Michigan, before making his screen debut in East Side/West Side in 1963.
From there, the late star went on to land a coveted role in Stanley Kubrick’s in Dr Strangelove in 1964, and has been a staple of Hollywood ever since.
As well as his various film roles, the US actor’s voice was also lent to various audiobooks and to CNN for its ‘This is CNN’ tagline.
Following the sad news of his death, Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, posted ‘#RIP Dad’ with a broken heart emoji as he paid tribute.
In 2005, veteran star Jones reprised his role of Vader for Revenge Of The Sith and he returned to the role nine years later in the first episode of Star Wars Rebels, and in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Costner in Field of Dreams, shared a message on Instagram.
‘That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams,’ he said.
‘If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa. I’m grateful to have been a witness to him making that magic happen.’
Actor Colman Domingo also paid tribute, tweeting: ‘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.’
‘James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces’, said LeVar Burton.
Garcelle Beauvais penned on Instagram: ‘Words cannot express how sad this makes me! thank you for gracing us with your talent and your spirit! It was a pleasure to work and know you’.
Crystal Minkoff, wife of The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff, also posted a photo of Jones holding a Mufasa statute, writing: ‘Rest in Power, Mr. Jones. You made a young animator’s dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa. Thank you for all you have done for Rob. Your memory will live on.’
Joining the tributes, fans reflected on Jones’s career and hailed today ‘a sad day’.
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