James Earl Jones, the distinguished actor and EGOT winner who provided the iconic voices of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, died Monday morning at the age of 93, IGN has confirmed with his agent.
Jones made his feature film debut in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove, and would go on to rack up more than 80 movie credits. Some of the most notable include Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Sandlot (1993).
Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931, and studied drama at the University of Michigan before serving in the Korean War. He moved to New York when he completed his service, and by the early '60s, he was rising to prominence for his work in theater, tackling Shakespearean roles like Othello and King Lear.
But once Jones started to pick up film roles, it was his voice that truly saw him rise to stardom, with his distinctive baritone lending gravitas to heroes and villains alike. He famously overcame a severe stutter to become one of Hollywood's most memorable voices, telling NPR in 2014 that it was "bad enough" that he just "didn't want to talk" for much of his childhood.
Depsite this, he originated the voice of Darth Vader in the original 1977 Star Wars, which he would reprise for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). It's hard to imagine Vader being nearly as menacing without Jones' famous portrayal.
Jones also lent his voice talents to Disney's 1994 animated megahit The Lion King, playing Mufasa.
Throughout his storied career, Jones received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2011. He was also nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in 1970's The Great White Hope. His many other honors include being inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, a National Medal of Arts, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Jones is survived by one son, Flynn, who he had with his late wife, actress Cecilia Hart.
Image credit: Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
