by Misty Severi
Iconic Hollywood actor James Earl Jones, most known for his roles as the voices of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King,” died on Monday at the age of 93.
Jones died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, but the cause of his death was not immediately clear, according to The Independent.
The acclaimed actor first rose to prominence in the 1960s as a Shakespearean and theater actor. One of his first major roles was in 1967, for his portrayal of boxer Jack Jefferson in the play “The Great White Hope.” The play premiered in Washington, D.C., but he was known for playing the role when it made it to Broadway a year later. He went on to win a Tony award for his portrayal. He also played Jefferson when the play was adapted into a film.
“When he was ‘The Great White Hope,’ it was shortly after [Martin Luther] King’s assassination, and there were riots in the streets of the United States,” Dominic Taylor, a professor of African American theater at UCLA, told NBC News. “And here is this Black man who wins for this role in which he’s Jack Johnson, basically. I don’t think people today are aware of how earthshaking that was.”
Jones’s next major role was as the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” in 1977. He reprised the role in the sequels in 1980, and 1983. He also voiced the role of Mufasa in “The Lion King” in 1994.
The Hollywood actor has won a total of three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award throughout his decades-long career. He was also nominated for an Academy Award, and received an honorary Oscar for his career.
Jones, who has been married twice in his life, is survived by his son Flynn Earl Jones. His second wife, actor Cecilia Hart, died in 2016 from ovarian cancer. The couple had been married for 36 years.
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Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
Photo “James Earl Jones” by Glasgow Film Festival CC2.0.
