‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lion King’ Actor James Earl Jones Dead at 93
Hollywood icon James Earl Jones has died at the age of 93.
Jones died on Monday, September 9, at his home in Dutchess County, New York, his rep confirmed to Deadline.
The Mississippi native’s career spanned over six decades. Born with a stutter, Jones often credited acting with helping him overcome the setback. He made his Broadway debut in 1957 after studying medicine in college and serving in the United States Army during the Korean War.
Stanley Kubrick‘s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove gave Jones his big break on the silver screen. He later returned the the stage, winning a Tony Award in 1968 for The Great White Hope. Jones reprised his role in the movie adaptation of the play, earning nominations for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
The Coming to America star is one of few Hollywood personalities with the coveted EGOT title, taking home his second Tony Award in 1987 for his performance in Fences and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Broadway awards show in 2017. Jones won two Primetime Emmys, one Daytime Emmy and one Grammy. While he never got a competitive Oscar, he was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement trophy from the Academy Awards in 2011.
Apart from his work in the theater, Jones was best known for his distinctive voice. He portrayed Mufasa in Disney’s animated Lion King and provided the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. The actor reprised both of the iconic roles in 2019’s The Lion King and in several Star Wars sequels, including The Rise of Skywalker. For Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jones’ voice was digitally recreated.
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In an American Film Institute interview that was resurfaced before Jones’ death, the Click narrator revealed that he was only paid $7,000 for the first Star Wars film. “George [Lucas] wanted, pardon the expression, a darker voice,” he recalled. “So he hires a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, who stutters. And that’s the voice. That’s me.”
Jones remembered feeling like he “lucked out” with the Vader role, adding, “I thought that was good money. And I got to be a voice on a movie!”
Decades after Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, the Sandlot star was still recognized for voicing the villain. However, Jones revealed that he hardly ever spoke in his Vader voice off camera.
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“I’ve only done it once,” he said on The Dick Cavett Show in 1995. “I was driving across the country with a CB radio and I used ‘Darth Vader’ as my handle. It freaked a lot of people out. When I got to the truck stop, there was a buzz about it. So, I decided not to do that anymore.”
The Two and a Half Men alum is survived by son Flynn, whom he welcomed in 1982 with wife Cecelia Hart. The actress died in October 2016 after battling ovarian cancer. Jones was previously married to Julienne Marie from 1968 to 1972.
