James Earl Jones, the EGOT-winning actor and voiceover legend, passed away at the age of 93. He’ll be remembered as the voice of many iconic characters, including Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, in addition to having almost 200 credits to his name over the course of six decades.
Jones rose to prominence as a stage actor in a series of Shakespeare in the Park productions, before getting his big break in Hollywood. He made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, received his first Oscar nod for The Great White Hope, and went on to star in such hit films as Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Hunt for Red October.
Jones’ resonant, unmistakable baritone made him one of Hollywood’s most prolific voice actors, best known as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. He’s also a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, one Grammy Award, and an honorary Academy Award, which helped him achieve the coveted EGOT status.
Many of Jones’ co-stars and peers sent condolences to his family following his passing at the age of 93. Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas described Jones as “an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit” and said he would be missed by friends and fans alike.
“For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn,” Lucas said in a statement.
