What you should know
- James Earl Jones, the award-winning actor who lent his distinctive voice to the iconic character of “Darth Vader” in “Star Wars” as well as “Mufasa” in the American interpretation of “The Lion King,” has died at age 93.
- His agent, Barry McPherson, told NBC News that Jones died Monday at his home in the Hudson Valley in New York State. The cause of death is unknown.
- Jones was one of the few actors to achieve EGOT status, which refers to those who have won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
James Earl Jones, the award-winning actor who lent his distinctive voice to the iconic character of “Darth Vader” in “Star Wars” as well as “Mufasa” in the American interpretation of “The Lion King,” has died at age 93.
His agent, Barry McPherson, told NBC News that Jones died Monday at his home in the Hudson Valley in New York State. The cause of death is unknown.
Jones was one of the few actors to achieve EGOT status, which refers to those who have won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
Jones’ list of accolades includes two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tonys, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors, The Associated Press reported in 2022. She also received an honorary Oscar.
In addition to her famous film and screen credits, Jones had nearly 20 acting roles on Broadway, according to Playbill.
During his career, he was honored with two Tony Awards and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. Jones won in 1969 for his acting work in “The Great White Hope” and in 1987 for his role in the play “Fences.” His lifetime achievement award came in 2017.
He was also nominated for “On Golden Pond” (2005) and “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” (2012). His most recent Broadway roles include “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Iceman Cometh” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”
Broadway helped Jones achieve true stardom in 1970 with “The Great White Hope.” Howard Sackler’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play depicted the struggles of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, amid the racism of early 20th-century America. In 1972, Jones reprised his role in the film version and was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor.
Jones last starred on Broadway in 2015 in “The Gin Game” opposite Cicely Tyson at the John Golden Theatre.
His theatrical career was so long and distinguished that two years ago, the restored Cort Theatre on Broadway in New York City was named after him.
He was also a sought-after voice actor. His most beloved roles in this field are undoubtedly that of the villain Darth Vader in “Star Wars” or “The Star Wars”, as well as King Mufasa in “The Lion King” or
Disney’s “The Lion King.” He won a Grammy in 1977 for his performance in the audiobook “Great American Documents.”
Some of his other films include “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Greatest” (with Muhammad Ali), “Conan the Barbarian,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger.” He also played one of the lead roles in the 1974 romantic comedy, “Claudine,” where Jones had an on-screen love affair with Diahann Carroll.
