James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, died September 9. He was 93.
Jones’ reps confirmed the news to Deadline and to Variety. He died at his home in Dutchess County, New York.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest voices in all of entertainment, Jones — he voiced Mufasa both in The Lion King animated pic (1994) and live-action film (2019) — is one of the few to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
Jones took home two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and three Tony Awards and was presented with the Honorary Academy Award.
The movie titles were perhaps even more impressive.
In addition to the 'Star Wars' franchise, Jones' big-screen credits also include:
- Conan the Barbarian (1982)
- Coming to America (1988)
- The Hunt for Red October (1990)
- The Sandlot (1990)
- Patriot Games (1992)
Jones was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Great White Hope and was given an honorary Oscar at the 2012 ceremony.
He won both Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his role in Gabirel’s Fire and for outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or a special for his role in Heat Wave.
James’ roles were diverse from his first movie credit in 1964's Dr. Strangelove to his reprisal of his role as King Jaffe Joffer in the 2021 sequel to Coming to America.
His most visible on-screen role may have been playing author Alex Haley in the landmark 1977 television miniseries Roots.
Jones, who overcame a stutter as a child, established himself as an actor that spanned more than 60 years when he debuted on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre.
—Mark Heim, al.com
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
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