James Earl Jones, best known for being the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa, has passed away at 93. The actor died early Monday morning, September 9, surrounded by his family, his agent Barry McPherson said in a media statement.
Mark Hamill, who played Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, posted “RIP Dad” with a broken heart emoji as he mourned the loss of his co-star.
Star Trek actor LeVar Burton was also among the first to pay tribute to Jones. “There will never be another of his particular combination of graces,” he said.
Jones’s other film credits include Field of Dreams, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, and more. The actor won three Tony Awards, two Emmys, and a Grammy during his career. He also received an honorary Oscar in 2011 for lifetime achievement. In 1971, Jones became only the second Black man nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor after Sidney Poitier.
Kevin Costner, who co-starred with Jones in the first of the abovementioned films, celebrated the late star, saying, “That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.”
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote of Jones: “His “voice and talent will be remembered always,” but that part of his legacy doesn’t even begin to cover his impact on cinema.
Rob Minkoff, the co-director of The Lion King, wrote via Instagram, “Just learned of the passing of the great James Earl Jones. I was blessed to get to work with him. His portrayal of Mufasa was perfection. What a powerful man and actor. Gone but will never be forgotten. Rest in power.”
Crystal Minkoff, wife of The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff, added, “Rest in Power, Mr. Jones. You made a young animator’s dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa.”
Born in Mississippi in January 1931 and known for his voice roles later in life, Jones was unable to speak for most of his childhood because of stammer. He once explained that he developed his well-known gravelly voice while working on how to deal with his condition.
Jones voiced Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film, which came out in 1977, and its sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He reprised the role in later films, such as the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series, Rogue One, and the third installment of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Both projects came out in the late 2010s. A different actor donned the malevolent villain’s costume and provided the movements, including the late David Prowse.
Jones reportedly never made big bucks off the Darth Vader part — only $9,000 for the first film. At his own insistence, he was not given credit for his performance in the films, as he felt it was merely another special effect effort. However, when the movies broke all box office records, he was persuaded to rethink.
Jones’s known TV credits include playing the older brother of Alex Haley in Roots: The Next Generation as well as the US drama Gabriel’s Fire. His voice was also used on The Simpsons.
