James Earl Jones, the American actor partially known for voicing some of cinema’s most recognizable characters, including Mufasa (The Lion King) and Darth Vader (Star Wars), has died at the age of 93, according to the latest reports. Jones, whose credits date back to 1964’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, is reported to have passed away this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY.
Some of Jones’ film credits include:
- The Lion King (Mufasa)
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (Darth Vader)
- Conan and Barbarian (Thulsa Doom)
- Exorcist II (Older Kokumo)
- Field of Dreams (Terence Mann)
- Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (General James Solomon)
- Judge Dredd (Narrator)
- The Meteor Man (Mr. Moses)
- Patriot Games (Admiral Greer)
From a report:
- “Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, MS, his many big-screen credits also films such Conan the Barbarian (1982), Coming to America (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Sneakers (1992). He also has appeared on The Simpsons three times.”
- “He probably is best known for his voice role as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).”
- “Jones also Mufasa both in The Lion King animated pic (1994) and hybrid/live-action film (2019). He also lent his sonorous voice to the famous ‘This is CNN’ promo campaign for the cable news network.”
- “He was nominated for a Lead Actor Oscar for his role in The Great White Hope (1971) and was given an honorary Oscar at the 2012 ceremony. An eight-time Emmy nominee, his two wins both came in 1991: Lead Actor in a Drama series for Gabriel’s Fire and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Heat Wave.”
James Earl Jones discussing one of his best-known roles:
Variety noted in its coverage:
…Jones was paid $7,000 to lend his voice to Darth Vader in 1977’s “Star Wars: A New Hope,” but he declined screen credit for that film and its sequel, 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” out of deference to the actor who played the role on screen, David Prowse. By 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” however, Jones had become fully synonymous with one of the most memorable and terrifying villains in cinema history, and received credit for his work. He returned to lend Vader’s voice again for 2005’s “Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” but for the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Jones instead authorized Lucasfilm to use archival recordings and AI technology to recreate Vader’s voice.