Disney Legend James Earl Jones Has Passed Away at 93
James Earl Jones, the iconic actor known for his deep, resonant voice, commanding presence, and legendary performances has passed away at the age of 93.
Long recognized as among the great actors in American history, Jones was one of the few individuals to achieve EGOT status, having received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy, three Tony Awards, and an Honorary Academy Award.
After his debut performance in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Jones garnered national attention as Jack Johnson in 1969’s The Great White Hope. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination and established Jones as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Photo: IMDB
While Jones would go on to give iconic performances in Conan the Barbarian, Field of Dreams, and on stage as King Lear, he is perhaps best known for providing the voice for Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
Giving Darth Vader His Voice
The combination of Vader’s iconic look and Jones’ resonant voice would make the Sith lord one of the most recognizable villains in film history. After first giving voice to Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope, he would reprise his role in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Rebels, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, The Rise of Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Photo: Also People
After providing the voice of Darth Vader for over 40 years, Jones retired from the role in 2022. At the time, it was announced that the actor had sold Lucasfilm the rights to his voice, allowing the studio to digitally recreate his iconic, distinctive timbre in future Star Wars content.
Becoming a Disney Legend
For a younger generation of fans, however, Jones will be remembered as the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King. After portraying the noble king in the original animated film, Jones would return to voice Mufasa in the 2019 live-action remake.
His other Disney credits include The Lion Guard, Recess, True Identity, Jefferson in Paris, Fantasia/2000, and also as the narrator in Disneynature’s Earth.
Photo: Also Disney
In 2019, Jones was named a Disney Legend.
