James Earl Jones, the legendary voice of Darth Vader, has died. The EGOT-winning actor (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) lent his voice to the iconic black-capped antagonist since the 1977 film A New Hope. James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93, surrounded by family, on Monday.
Confirming the news, Fox News reported that Jones died at his home in Dutchess County, New York. Jones was renowned for his role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films and appeared in classic movies such as Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Hunt for Red October.
Jones, a stage and screen star, died “Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by his family,” according to his representative.
He was among the few stars to achieve the coveted EGOT status, having won an Oscar Honorary Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and three Tony Awards.
Kevin Costner, who worked with Jones in Field of Dreams, paid tribute on social media:
“I just heard about James Earl Jones’s death. That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness he radiated. There’s so much to say about his legacy, so I’ll just say how grateful I am that Field of Dreams was a part of it. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Jones began his career on stage in the early 1950s, earning acclaim as one of the best Shakespearean actors with roles in Othello and King Lear, and also appeared as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Claudius in Hamlet.
His film debut was in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove in 1964, followed by nearly 200 other film and television roles. His voice work was also notably influential.
His most notable role was as the voice of Darth Vader in George Lucas’s 1977 space epic Star Wars: A New Hope. He also voiced Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).
Jones transitioned from a villain to an iconic father figure in 1994 when he voiced Mufasa in The Lion King. He was the only actor to reprise his role in Jon Favreau’s 2019 live-action remake.
Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the 1990s, Jones first spoke about it publicly in a 2016 talk show.
Jones’s career, spanning over 50 years, was a testament to his passion for acting:
“I love playing anything that allows me to meet people who are different from me,” he once said to People magazine.
