James Earl Jones was in front of the camera and on stage for six decades. The honorary Oscar winner was 93 years old. He died on Monday.
Los Angeles/New York – With his distinctive voice, James Earl Jones voiced the Star Wars villain Darth Vader: US actor James Earl Jones has died. According to his agents, Jones died on Monday (September 9) at the age of 93.
Jones looks back on a career in theater and film spanning six decades. In addition to “Darth Vader,” he also lent his voice to the cartoon character Mufasa – the father of young Simba in “The Lion King.”
Achieved worldwide fame through his speaking role in “Star Wars”: James Earl Jones is dead
Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931. He stuttered as a child. He later stated that he overcame his speech impediment by reciting poetry and acting.
He began appearing in front of the camera in 1964. Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role as black boxer Jack Jefferson in “The Great White Hope” (1970). He became world famous in 1977 for his voice role in “Star Wars”: Director George Lucas had hired him to voice the supervillain Darth Vader.
Mourning for James Earl Jones is great – “Rest in peace, father”
Mark Hamill, who played Darth Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, said goodbye to his longtime co-star on the X platform: “Rest in peace, father,” Hamill wrote – with a broken heart as an emoji.
Other Hollywood colleagues also expressed their sadness. The word “legendary” does not “even begin to describe his iconic roles and his influence on cinema,” wrote Oscar winner Octavia Spencer on Instagram. Jones’ voice and talent will always be remembered. “Rustin” star Colman Domingo thanked Jones as a master of the acting arts “for everything.”
Most recently, the death of “Hunger Games” actor Donald Sutherland also caused great sadness.
James Earl Jones was also a celebrated star on stage
As a theater actor, Jones won two Tony Awards. He has appeared in several Shakespeare plays, as well as in Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and on Broadway in New York in “Driving Miss Daisy” alongside Vanessa Redgrave. He has also received two Emmys for television roles and a Grammy for his voice acting. In 2011, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him an honorary Oscar for his achievements. Jones was able to join the ceremony via video link as he was performing in London at the time.
In 2021, he returned to the screen once again in the sequel to the 1988 hit comedy “Coming to America”. In “Coming to America 2” he played King Jaffe Joffer alongside Eddie Murphy. (mbr/dpa/AFP)
#James #Earl #Jones #dead
