Star Wars legend and The Lion King star James Earl Jones dies aged 93
James Earl Jones, known for his iconic roles in the Star Wars franchise and Field Of Dreams, had died at the age of 93.
James Earl Jones passes away aged 93
Star Wars icon James Earl Jones, who voiced the villain Darth Vader, has died at the age of 93. His passing was confirmed by his reps at Independent Artist Group to Deadline News.
The acclaimed actor died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, on Monday morning. He acted for over six decades and picked up numerous awards during his career, including three Tony Awards and an Academy Award lifetime achievement in 2011.
The Oscar nominee was known for his recognisable voice as the villain Darth Vader in the Star Wars film franchise. He also voiced Mufasa in the Disney movie, The Lion King.
James studied drama at the Ramsdell Theatre in Michigan before he made his theatre debut in 1963. A year later he landed his first movie role in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove.
His cause of death has not been confirmed.
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His big break in the entertainment industry came in 1967 with The Great White Hope. He then made his debut as the recognisable Darth Vader in George Lucas's space franchise, Star Wars: A New Hope.
James voiced the iconic character and later returned for the sequels in 1980 and 1983. Meanwhile, the Sith Lord Vader was portrayed in costume by David Prowse, who died in 2020.
Other notable credits include Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America (1988), Conan the Barbarian (1982) and The Hunt for Red October (1990).
In 2016, James spoke publicly about his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. He said: "I had gone to a diet and exercise program hoping to lose some weight and ended up falling asleep sitting on a bench in the gymnasium.
"My doctor, who happened to be there, said that’s not normal. He encouraged me to go get a test, and I did – and there it was: type 2 diabetes. It hit me like a thunderbolt."
In 1968, James married actress and singer Julienne Marie, who he met while performing as Othello in 1964. They had no children and divorced in 1972, but 10 years later he married actress Cecilia Hart with whom he had a son, Flynn.
