Actor James Earl Jones, known for his roles in “Star Wars” and “The Lion King,” passed away at the age of 93 on Sept. 9.
Widely regarded in the film community as one of the world’s greatest stage and screen actors, Jones is one of the few celebrities to achieve the EGOT status, which is someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony. Throughout his career, he received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award, an Honorary Oscar and three Tony Awards.
For movie fans, he is most known for voicing the iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader in films such as “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “The Rise of Skywalker.” He also returned to voice the character in TV shows as well, such as “Star Wars: Rebels” and 2022’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” With Jones’ voice, he was able to deliver such classic lines that have stuck in Star Wars fans’ heads for decades, such as “be careful not to choke on your aspirations,” “I find your lack of faith disturbing” and “no, I am your father.”
Jones is also well known for voicing Mufasa, father of Simba, from both the 1994 “The Lion King” and 2019 version of the same time. The character played a pivotal role throughout the films runtime, serving as a mentor to his son, Simba, about the nature of the kingdom they reside in. Jones’ iconic voice for the character was the reason that Disney cast him again for the remake of the film.
Among Jones’ beloved acting roles is his portrayal of Terence Mann from “Field of Dreams,” the reclusive 1960s author who teams with Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella to unlock the latter’s vision of baseball lore. The film received 3 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score, but didn’t win in any category.
Another role Jones portrayed was the character of Mr. Mertle, owner of the dog, “The Beast,” in the 1993 film “The Sandlot.” His screen time in the film was minimal, but his line delivery and the popularity to the film contribute to the movie being recognized along with rest of his filmography.
Some of his other acting credits include Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove,” “Conan the Barbarian,” his role as James Greer in the Jack Ryan films “Clear and Present Danger,” “Patriot Games” and “The Hunt for Red October.”
Outside of film, Jones shared a strong presence on the Broadway stage, portraying the roles of Jack Jefferson in “The Great White Hope” in 1969. He also portrayed Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s “Fences” in 1987.
Jones’ role as Jack Jefferson would be his first breakthrough role, where he would later star in the film adaptation in 1970, which would also mark his debut on the big screen. He appeared in over two dozen Broadway productions throughout his career, from his first ever role being in 1958’s “Sunrise at Campobello” to his most recent performance in 2017’s “The Gin Game.”
In 2022, the Shubert Organization renamed its 110-year-old Cort Theatre into the James Earl Jones Theatre, with actor Samuel L. Jackson and New York City Mayor Adams in attendance.
As further details emerge regarding the cause of his passing, fans all over the world continue to commemorate Jones’ career.
