James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, dies at 93
Iconic voice actor James Earl Jones, famous for voicing Darth Vader and Mufasa, has passed away at 93 in New York.
James Earl Jones, the legendary actor known for his iconic voice roles as Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, passed away this morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the age of 93, per Deadline.
Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones possessed one of the most recognizable voices in cinematic history.
James Earl Jones' career on stage and screen
His deep, commanding tone brought iconic characters to life, such as Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King (1994), and other roles like Voice Box in Robots (2005) and The Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk (2009). Beyond animated roles, Jones also starred in live-action films, including The Sandlot (1993) as Mr. Mertle and Coming to America (1988) as King Jaffe Joffer.
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With a distinguished career spanning stage and screen, Jones is celebrated as one of the greatest actors of his time. He is also a rare EGOT recipient, having earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. His Academy Award was honorary, but Jones also won two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy in 1977, and three Tony Awards.
In 2022, Manhattan's Cort Theatre was renamed The James Earl Jones Theatre in honor of his storied career in theater. This was especially significant as it was the same venue where Jones performed in Sunrise at Campobello in 1958, marking just the beginning of his Broadway journey. Over the course of his career, Jones became known as one of the finest stage actors, with standout performances that earned him three Tony Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.
Jones kept Darth Vader's voice ‘very narrow’ because he wasn't…
At the American Film Institute, he recalled about George Lucas and how they crafted iconic Darth Vader. “George thought he wanted a – pardon the expression – darker voice. I lucked out,” he said.
“I wanted to make Darth Vader more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically oriented. He (Lucas) said, ‘No, no … you’ve got to keep his voice on a very narrow band of inflection, ‘cause he ain’t human,” Jones said.
Jones' talent extended to television as well. In 1991, he won two Primetime Emmys for Gabriel’s Fire and Heat Wave. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2001 for his work on The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.