James Earl Jones has died at age 93.
According to Deadline, the renowned actor, who voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader, passed away Monday morning (September 9) at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by his family. No cause of death has been announced.
Known for his booming baritone voice and commanding presence, Jones was widely regarded as one of the greatest stage and screen actors of all time. He is one of the few entertainers to have achieved EGOT status, having won two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award, an honorary Academy Award, and three Tony Awards. Over the course of his remarkable 60-year career, Jones accumulated nearly 200 screen credits. Some of his most notable appearances include Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Great White Hope (1970), Claudine (1974), The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Sneakers (1992).
Jones voiced Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. He also returned for The Star Wars Holiday Special and made a cameo in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, as well as appearing in 2014’s animated series Star Wars Rebels, 2016’s Rogue One, and 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
Jones had an impressive array of starring roles, many of which he made iconic. In 1988, he portrayed King Jaffe Joffer in the cult classic Coming to America, a role he reprised 33 years later in 2021’s Coming 2 America. He also famously voiced Mufasa in Disney’s 1994 animated hit The Lion King and returned to voice the character in the 2019 live-action remake.
In addition to his memorable film roles, Jones was a powerhouse on stage, earning widespread acclaim for his performances in Fences and The Great White Hope, the latter of which earned him a Tony Award and an Oscar nomination for its film adaptation. He also had roles in classics like Macbeth, Othello and The Iceman Cometh.
Jones is survived by his son, Flynn Earl Jones.
