James Earl Jones, voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa in Lion King, dies aged 93
Acting great James Earl Jones, who voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa in The Lion King, has died at the age of 93.
Advertisement
He was one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards).
Jones created such memorable film roles as the reclusive writer coaxed back into the spotlight in "Field of Dreams," the boxer Jack Johnson in the stage and screen hit "The Great White Hope," the writer Alex Haley in "Roots: The Next Generation" and a South African minister in "Cry, the Beloved Country."
He also appeared in Conan the Barbarian, played Eddie Murphy's dad in Coming to America and starred in The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games.
But it was his iconic voice as the villainous Darth Vader for which he was best known.
Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, Vader's son in Star Wars, tweeted: "RIP dad."
Jones was one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards).
Celebrities paid tribute to Jones, with Colman Domingo, who stars in the recently released Sing Sing, saying on X: "Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft.
Other Trending Stories
"We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best."
The Empire State Building posted an image from earlier this year of the landmark in New York being lit up with a striking image of Lord Vader as part of its Star Wars dynamic light show event.