Iconic American actor James Earl Jones has died at 93.
Jones died peacefully in his Dutchess County, NY home on Monday (Sept. 9) according to Deadline.
Born in Arkabutla, MS in 1931, Jones’ mother, Ruth, was a schoolteacher and his father, Robert, left the home shortly after his birth, eventually pursuing his own career as one of the most prominent Black actors during the Harlem Renaissance. The two did not reconcile until the ‘50s.
He began seriously pursuing acting himself in college, but was interrupted by being commissioned for the Korean War. After his discharge, Jones continued to pursue drama. He successfully got his feet wet on stage in various plays, eventually moving to the big screen.
Known for being one of the few actors to have an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) under their belt, Jones’ long and storied career included being the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars, as well as roles in Dr. Strangelove, Coming to America, and The Lion King.
Jones appeared to signal his inevitable retirement in 2022 when he signed away the rights to Darth Vader's voice to be recreated for future films in the Star Wars franchise using A.I. and archival recordings.
Jones is survived by his son, Flynn. His wife, Cecilia Hart, passed away in 2016.