James Earl Jones passed away on Monday at the age of 93. The actor, known for his distinctive, deep voice, immortalized iconic characters such as Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. Throughout a career spanning more than 60 years, Jones built a legacy as one of the most influential African-American actors of his generation.
Jones managed to excel in Hollywood and Broadway despite the barriers he faced at a young age. As a child, he overcame a severe stutter before making his Broadway debut in 1958 at the Cort Theatre, a theater that would be named in his honor in 2022.
His film debut came in 1964 under Stanley Kubrick in the Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, in which he took on the role of Lieutenant Lothar Zogg. Jones subsequently appeared in more than 80 films throughout his career.
In addition to his more recognizable roles, he starred in films such as The Man in 1972, where he played the first black president of the United States, and in Conan the Barbarian in 1982, as an imposing villain. In addition, in 1989, he played a reclusive author in Field of Dreams, and in Our Gang in 1993, he played a blind former baseball star.
James Earl Jones also left a deep mark on television and theater. Among his most recent roles were the 2019 remake of The Lion King, where he reprised his voice for Mufasa, and Coming to America Part II in 2021, reprising his role as King Jaffe Joffer.
Throughout his career, he received countless accolades: he won and was nominated for four Tony Awards (winning two) and received an Oscar nomination in 1970 for his performance in the film adaptation of The Great White Hope.
He was also nominated eight times for Primetime Emmy Awards, winning two in 1991, one for supporting actor in the miniseries Heat Wave and another for leading actor in the drama series Gabriel’s Fire, marking the first time an actor won two Emmys in the same year.
In 2002, he won the Kennedy Center Honor; in 2009, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award; in 2011, he received an Honorary Oscar; and in 2017, a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award. In addition, he won a Grammy Award in 1977 for a spoken word album, making him one of the few actors to receive an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
Jones is also known for his commanding presence and rich voice, which made him a natural for Shakespeare, playing standout roles such as Macbeth and Othello in Joseph Papp’s American Shakespeare Festival. He has also narrated several documentaries, from Malcolm X in 1972 to the Disneynature documentary Earth in 2007, and is most famous for intoning the “This is CNN” tagline for the cable news channel.
Her talent and resonant voice left a mark on the entertainment industry. Beyond her legacy in iconic characters, her work in theater with memorable performances and important collaborations sealed her status as one of the most respected and admired figures in the industry.
James married American singer and actress Julienne Marie in 1968, whom he met on the stage play Othello in 1964. They had no children and divorced in 1972. In 1982, he married actress Cecilia Hart, with whom he had one son, Flynn Earl Jones. Hart died on October 16, 2016, after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer.
In April 2016, Jones spoke publicly for the first time in nearly 20 years about his health condition after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a disease he had lived with since the mid-1990s.
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