Legendary screen and stage actor James Earl Jones has died, aged 93.
Jones died on the morning of September 9 at his home in Dutchess County, New York, his representatives confirmed to Deadline.
James Earl Jones is one of the few actors to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. He was perhaps best known for his role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, and for voicing Mufasa in Disney‘s The Lion King.
Jones got his start in the film industry in the 1960s, making his silver screen debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in 1964.
Throughout the course of his career, his performances would be celebrated in films such as Claudine, Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, City Limits, Coming To America and more. In 1977, he gain global attention for his voice role as Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope – a role that followed him for the rest of his career throughout several Star Wars projects, most recently in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
In 1994, he landed his second largest voice acting role as Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King. In TV, he’s known for his roles in Paris, Long Ago and Far Away, Gabriel’s Fire, 3rd Rock From The Sun, an appearance on The Big Bang Theory and several episodes of Star Wars Rebels.
In theater, he starred in several major productions, including Othello, Of Mice and Men, Hamlet, Driving Miss Daisy, Much Ado About Nothing and most recently, The Gin Game.
In the wake of passing, many actors and industry members have paid homage to the late James Earl Jones. Mark Hamill wrote: “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed.”
George Lucas wrote in a statement: “James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit. For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us… friends and fans alike.”
Thank you for everything, James.
A statement from George Lucas and Lucasfilm: https://t.co/ieEdG0k5zY pic.twitter.com/8L99EeNwuU
— Star Wars (@starwars) September 10, 2024
James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces.
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 9, 2024
Disney CEO Bob Iger remembers James Earl Jones: “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history. A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his… pic.twitter.com/woWsz8RL7D
— Variety (@Variety) September 10, 2024
See more tributes below.
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. pic.twitter.com/vD0V7y613w
— Colman Domingo (@colmandomingo) September 9, 2024
The Empire State Building has also paid tribute, projecting a mural of Darth Vader on the skyscraper.
The Empire State Building honoring James Earl Jones by lighting the building up with a Darth Vader light mural
Incredible pic.twitter.com/rFwu3W8FUm
— James Jinnette (@james_jinnette1) September 10, 2024
The post Tributes paid to James Earl Jones, who has died aged 93 appeared first on NME.
