James Earl Jones, the voice behind Star Wars' iconic Darth Vader, dies at 93

James Earl Jones' last project was also voicing Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi

James Earl Jones (Hindustan Times)

James Earl Jones, known for voicing the iconic character of Darth Vader from Star Wars, died at the age of 93. The actor is also the voice of Mufasa in Lion King. “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history,” said Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement.

James Earl Jones no more

James Earl Jones' agency confirmed the news of his demise at the dawn of Tuesday, September 10, 2024. James Earl Jones reportedly died on Monday in the midst of his family. The cause of his death still remains unknown, but he was diagnosed with diabetes.

James Earl Jones' career

Working in nearly 200 films and TV shoes, James got fame as the voice of Darth Vader. The actor had previously revealed that he worked on the role for USD 7 thousand and simply lucked out because George Lucas wanted a 'darker voice' to the man behind behind the suit (British actor David Prowse played Vader). His last stint was also voicing Vader for the web series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Two decades after Darth Vader, James got to voice another iconic character - Mufasa from Lion King. Fun fact: James had to play what he is as a father rather than make the character royal.

As an actor, James made his debut in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). He then got recognition for playing a troubled boxer, Jack Johnson in The Great White Hope (1967). The adaptation also made him the second African American man to be nominated for Oscars.

His other memorable roles came in the next five decades. He played Alex Haley in Roots: The Next Generation, an African king in Coming to America and warlord Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian. James reprised his role in Coming 2 America, which was released in 2021.

How James Earl Jones overcame the hurdles in his personal life to become iconic professionally

Born in Mississippi to a mixed ethnic family of African, Irish, and Cherokee, James was son to Robert Earl Jonas, also an actor. When he was 5, James moved with his grandparents to a farm in Michigan. At the point, he quit speaking because of his stutter. After staying silent for a decade, the actor found his voice in school when tricked into reciting a poem. With time, he learned to control his stutter and decided to pursue acting.

James is survived by his son Flynn Earl Jones.

Rest in peace, legend.

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