James Earl Jones, the iconic American actor whose unmistakable voice brought to life characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King” is dead.
He died in his home in Duchess County, New York.
The 93-year-old honorary EGOT winner is survived by his son, Flynn Earl Jones.
Jones was a Tony-Emmy-and-Grammy-winning actor with a long list of successful movies and plays.
He won Tony Awards for his lead performances in The Great White Hope and Fences. In 1991, the actor made history as the first to win two Emmy Awards in the same year for dramatic work.
His Grammy Award recognized his contribution to the educational recording Great American Documents. Jones died in September 2024 at age 93.
He was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi. His father, Robert Earl Jones, a boxer and actor, was largely absent from his life growing up.
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As a University of Michigan student, Jones intended to study medicine but soon discovered acting. After college, he served in the military during the Korean War then returned to his passion of performing once he finished his service.
Moving to New York City, Jones studied at the American Theatre Wing and eventually took on the stage name Todd Jones for a little while, inspired by a childhood nickname.
Jones made his Broadway debut in the late 1950s in the play Sunrise at Campobello. For several years, he took on a variety of roles for stage, television, and film.
Jones was active in the Shakespeare in the Park program and appeared in one of its first productions in 1962.
Two years later, he gave a tremendous performance as the title character in Othello, a role he revisited numerous times.
On the big screen, Jones often played strong, authoritative characters. He portrayed the villain Thulsa Doom in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and later portrayed a king in Eddie Murphy’s Prince in 1988’s Coming to America.
In 1993, Jones published the memoir Voices and Silences, which looks at both his career and early family life.
Previously married to actor Julienne Marie, with whom he co-starred in Othello, Jones wed Cecilia Hart in 1982 and was married to her until she died in 2016. The couple had one son, Flynn Earl Jones.
