James Earl Jones, acclaimed actor and voice of Darth Vader, passed away at 93

James Earl Jones, known for his powerful voice in roles like Darth Vader from Star Wars and Mufasa from The Lion King, has passed away at the age of 93.

He was celebrated as a top actor of his era, with a career that covered everything from Shakespeare to major Hollywood films. He won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

His passing was announced by Deadline, through his team at Independent Artist Group.

Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones was raised by his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. Despite becoming a globally recognized voice, he struggled with a stutter as a child.

“I was a stutterer. I couldn’t talk,” Jones shared in a 1996 interview. He described his early school years as silent, until high school when a teacher encouraged him to read poetry aloud to help him speak.

Jones served in the US Army during the Korean War. After, he pursued acting, studying at the American Theatre Wing and working as a janitor to make ends meet. In the 1960s, he became a prominent Shakespearean actor, taking on roles such as Othello and King Lear. His film career began with his role as bombadier Lt. Lothar Zogg in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove.

In 1967, Jones starred as a boxer in The Great White Hope, earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He later played the same role in the 1970 movie adaptation, which brought him his first Oscar nomination.

Jones famously voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars, a role he performed without needing to appear on set. Originally uncredited, this part became one of his most renowned. He voiced Vader in several sequels and spin-offs until 2022 when he retired, agreeing to let his voice be used posthumously through AI and archived recordings.

He also voiced Mufasa in Disney’s 1994 movie The Lion King and its 2019 remake.

Jones starred in numerous films through the ’80s and ’90s, like Conan the Barbarian and The Hunt for Red October. He won another Tony in the original production of August Wilson’s Fences.

He earned eight Emmy nominations, winning twice in 1991 for his roles in Heat Wave and Gabriel’s Fire.

In recent decades, Jones appeared in Broadway revivals like On Golden Pond and Driving Miss Daisy. In 2017, he received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Jones was honored with an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, joining the rare group of “EGOT” winners. In 2022, Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed in his honor.

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