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James Earl Jones: Darth Vader and Mufasa voice actor dies

September 10, 2024

The actor passed away at 93, and the cause of death is still unclear. In addition to voice acting in "Star Wars" and "The Lion King," Jones also portrayed characters in movies such as "Field of Dreams."

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The late actor James Earl Jones taking part in an awards ceremony in Los Angeles
James Earl Jones had a career which spanned six decadesImage: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

American actor James Earl Jones has died at the age of 93, his agent Barry McPherson said Monday.

McPherson said Jones died at his home surrounded by family member.

Jones passed away on Monday morning, and the cause of death is still unclear.

Who was James Earl Jones?

Jones was the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films and Mufasa in Disney's 1994 animated hit "The Lion King."

He was awarded Tonys for 1969 Broadway show "The Great White Hope" and the 1987 show "Fences."

He won Emmys in 1991 for the TV series "Gabriel's Fire" and "Heat Wave."

In 1977, he won a Grammy for best spoken word album, "Great American Documents."

James Earl Jones in "The Great White Hope"
Jones was awarded a Tony for his role in the 1969 Broadway show "The Great White Hope"Image: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection/picture alliance

Jones was also heard in dozens of television commercials and the CNN broadcaster used his voice saying "This is CNN" to introduce newscasts for several years.

He also acted in movie such as the 1989 film "Field of Dreams" and 1995 film "Cry, The Beloved Country."

In 2005, Jones reprised his role as Darth Vader in "Revenge Of The Sith" and also in the 2014 animated series "Star Wars Rebels" and the 2016 film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

Reactions

"One of the world's finest actors whose contributions to 'Star Wars' were immeasurable. He'll be greatly missed," actor Mark Hamill, who played Darth Vader's son Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" movies, told the AP  news agency.

"James Earl Jones. there will never be another of his particular combination of graces," actor LeVar Burton said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best." actor Colman Domingo said in a post on X.

CNN also extended its condolences.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of James's passing. He was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James. Our thoughts are with his family," the network said.

sdi/wd (Reuters, AFP)