Actor James Earl Jones has died aged 93.
The actor is remembered for a wide range of memorable roles on stage and screen including being the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, as well as the voice of King Mufasa is Disney animated film The Lion King.
Jones died at his home in Dutchess County in New York on Monday.
He made memorable film appearances including role sin Soul Man, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, Sneakers and Sommersby.
In the Jack Ryan films he played Admiral James Greer in The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger.
On television he appeared in a wide range of programs. From the landmark miniseries Roots to L.A. Law, Highway to Heaven, The Simpsons, Law and Order, Picket Fences, Lois and Clark, Made About You, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Frasier, Will and Grace, The Simpsons, Stargate SG-1, House and Big Bang Theory.
He was also a prolific stage actor appearing in Of Mice and Men, On Golden Pond, Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hamlet, The Cherry Orchard and many other classics.
He was also the voice of news channel CNN for many years. In a statement the broadcaster said Jones “was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James.”
In 2010 he appeared on Broadway in a stage production of Driving Miss Daisy, starring alongside Angela Lansbury. After a successful Broadway season the production toured Australia including a run of shows at His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth.
Born in Mississippi in 1931, Jones early years saw him struggle with a stutter he credited discovering a love of poetry as helping him to read out loud and overcome the challenge.
Initially he intended to study Pre-Med at college but switched into drama graduating in 1955. During his college years he also joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps. After graduating he joined the military achieving the rank of First Lieutenant.
From the mid 1950’s he worked as a carpenter and janitor in New York as he worked to establish himself as an actor. He slowly began finding roles on Broadway in a range of productions.
In 1964 he made his film debut in Stanly Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. the same year he appeared alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Alec Guiness in The Comedians.
In 1967 he starred in the Broadway production The Great White Hope, the play won a Pulitzer, and Jones won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
When it came to his most iconic role as the voice of Darth Vader, Jones was at Jones’ request initially not credited on with 1977’s Star Wars or it’s 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back. When the third film in the franchise Return of the Jedi came out in 1983, he conceded at let producers and his credit.
He would return to voice the character on many additional films and television shows including Revenge of the Sith, The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One. For 2022 series Obi-Wan Kenobi producers used A.I technology to create Jones’ voice based on his previous recordings of his voice.
His final on screen appearance was recreating his role of King Jaffe Joffer in 2021’s Coming 2 America.
