American actor James Earl Jones, known for iconically voicing Star Wars‘ Darth Vader and The Lion King‘s Mufasa, has sadly died at the age of 93.
He died early Monday morning while surrounded by his family, his agent Barry McPherson confirmed.
Jones’ work in the movie industry will be remembered for generations to come.
Mark Hamill, who famously starred as the son of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, reacted to the news on social media with a broken heart emoji and: “RIP Dad”.
Jones won three Tony awards as well as two Emmys and a Grammy during his career.
He also obtained an honorary Oscar in 2011 for lifetime achievement.
Actor LeVar Burton, known for playing Geordi La Forge in the “Star Trek” universe, wrote in a tribute to the late star: “There will never be another of his particular combinations of graces.”
Fear the Walking Dead star Colman Domingo also wrote: “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.”
Jones’ Field of Dreams co-star Kevin Costner said: “That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.”
Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer said Jones’ “voice and talent will be remembered always,” and that his “legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever.”
Wife of The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff, Crystal Minkoff, wrote in a post featuring an image of Jones holding a Mufasa statue: “Rest in Power, Mr Jones.”
“You made a young animator’s dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa.”
“Thank you for all you have done for Rob. Your memory will live on.”
Jones also voiced CNN’s “This is CNN” tagline.
“He was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum,” they told The Hollywood Reporter.
“That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James.”
Jones was born in January 1931 in Mississippi.
He had said in the past how he struggled to speak for the majority of his childhood due to a stammer, which is a speech disorder that causes involuntary repetitions, prolongations, or silent pauses when speaking.
Jones first voiced the iconic Sith known as Darth Vader in George Lucas’ 1997 Star Wars: A New Hope movie, returning for sequels such as The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
He went on to voice the villain in future projects such as Rogue One and more.
His voice will long be remembered, rest in peace, James Earl Jones.
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Source: Tampa Bay Times