James Earl Jones, Who Played ‘Star Wars” Darth Vader, Has Died in His NY Home
James Earl Jones, the legendary Hollywood actor, passed away at his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the age of 93. Renowned for his exceptional talent on both stage and screen, Jones was one of the few entertainers to achieve an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). His notable accolades include two Primetime Emmys, a Daytime Emmy, a Grammy in 1977 for spoken word, and three Tony Awards.
Though he had iconic on-screen roles, Jones was perhaps best known for his voice work, notably as Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy and Mufasa in Disney’s “The Lion King.” His other significant roles included King Jaffe Joffer in “Coming to America,” Admiral Greer in “The Hunt for Red October,” and Terence Mann in “Field of Dreams,” where his powerful soliloquy remains memorable.
Jones studied drama at the University of Michigan before moving to New York to pursue acting, ultimately starring in nearly two dozen Broadway plays throughout his career, which spanned several decades. He won multiple Tony Awards for his performances and received many honors recognizing his contributions to the arts. Jones’s legacy is marked by his profound impact as a performer and the rich characters he brought to life.
Hollywood legend James Earl Jones died Monday morning in his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the age of 93.
“Widely regarded as among the world’s great stage and screen actors Jones is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony),” Deadline reported.
“Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977 and three Tony Awards,” the news outlet added.
In some of the roles he was best known for, Jones did not even appear on the screen.
The actor was the voice of Darth Vader in the three original “Star Wars” movies and reprised the part in “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
The Arkabutla, Mississippi, native also voiced the part of Mufasa in the “Lion King” animated movie in 1994 and again in the hybrid live-action film of the same name in 2019.
Jones also provided his voice to the news — announcing for years, “This is CNN.”
Prominent on-screen roles for Jones included King Jaffe Joffer in “Coming to America” and in the sequel “Coming 2 America.”
He played Admiral Greer in the “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games,” based on the best-selling Tom Clancy novels.
His portrayal of Terence Mann in the 1989 classic “Field of Dreams” is a performance that has stood the test of time well.
Jones delivered a soliloquy at the film’s climax that convinced Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) not to sell the farm, so the Field of Dreams could live on.
“Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come,” he said.
“And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces,” Mann exhorted.
“This field, this game — it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.”
Jones studied drama at the University of Michigan and moved to New York City to pursue an acting career in 1957, according to USA Today.
Deadline reported that Jones earned three competitive Tony Awards for “Best Actor in a Play, winning twice for his performances as Jack Jefferson in ‘The Great White Hope’ in 1969 and as Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ in 1987.”
Furthermore, “[h]e received a Special Tony Award at 2017 ceremony.”
“He appeared in nearly two dozen Broadway shows, from his first starring role in ‘Sunrise at Campobello’ (1958) and most recently in ‘The Gin Game’ (2017).”
Jones said in a 2010 interview for Broadway.com, “I’ve done a King Lear, too! Do the kids know that? No, they have the Darth Vader poster to sign. But it’s OK.”
“When you appear before an audience, you learn to accept whatever they give you. Hopefully they give you their ears, as Antony said.”
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