
James Earl Jones, the beloved stage and screen actor who lent his iconic, deep voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has died at 93.
Regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, Jones’ career spanned Shakespeare to Hollywood hits. He is one of the few actors to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony Award.
The actor’s death was reported by Deadline, via his representatives at Independent Artist Group.
James Earl Jones was born January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi and raised by his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. While he would later become one of the most famous voices in the world, he says he suffered from a stutter in his youth.

“I was a stutterer. I couldn’t talk,” Jones recalled in a 1996 interview. “So my first year of school was my first mute year, and then those mute years continued until I got to high school.” A teacher encouraged him to overcome his stutter by reading poetry aloud.
Jones served in the US Army during the Korean War, and after decided to pursue a career in acting. He studied at the American Theatre Wing, working as a janitor to support himself. By the 1960s, Jones was establishing himself as one of his generation’s great Shakespearean actors, playing roles like Othello and King Lear. He also made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1964 comedy Dr. Strangelove, as bombadier Lt. Lothar Zogg.

In 1967, he played a boxer in The Great White Hope, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He reprised the role in the 1970 film version, receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
Amidst all his acclaimed acting work, Jones soon landed his most well-known and iconic role — one where he didn’t even have to appear on set: voicing the villainous Darth Vader in Star Wars. While Vader was played in costume by David Prowse, Jones dubbed over the lines with his own deep bass voice, helping to create one of the most famous characters in movie history.
While Jones originally opted to go uncredited for the role, it has become perhaps his most famous performance. He continued to voice Vader for decades, in the two sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the prequel Revenge of the Sith and the spin-off Rogue One. In 2022, Jones retired from the role, but signed an agreement for his voice to be used in future projects using artificial intelligence and archive recordings.

Jones also provided the voice of another beloved movie character, Mufasa in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. Jones later reprised the role in the 2019 remake.
Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Jones appeared in many Hollywood films, including Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and The Sandlot. He also won his second Tony Award, starring in the original production of August Wilson’s Fences.
He received eight Emmy Award nominations for his television work, winning twice in 1991: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Heat Wave and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire.

Jones also continued to perform on Broadway: over the past 20 years he starred in revivals of On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man and You Can’t Take it With You.
Jones was the recipient of many awards and honors throughout his acclaimed career. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, making him one of the only people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, known as “EGOT.” Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor in 2022.
Rest in peace to the iconic James Earl Jones, one of the greatest actors of our time — please share this
JOHN TRAVOLTA’S DAUGHTER THANKS HIM FOR MAKING EVERY DAY BETTER AND SAYS SHE HOPES TO BE HALF AS GOOD A PARENT AS HE IS.
JOHN TRAVOLTA’S DAUGHTER THANKS HIM FOR MAKING EVERY DAY BETTER AND SAYS SHE HOPES TO BE HALF AS GOOD A PARENT AS HE IS.
Sometimes, dads don’t get as much credit as moms in parenting. But the truth is, a father’s role in a child’s life is just as important, and they deserve the same love. Ella Travolta wanted to appreciate her dad, John Travolta, for everything he does, and she shared some heartfelt words.
At Bright Side, we believe that sharing kind words strengthens bonds, so we want to share this sweet exchange with our audience. Ella honored John on his special day.

The 21-year-old actress posted a picture on her Instagram with her dad and brother. In the caption, she said her dad is her “best friend” and someone who brings joy to her in both good times and bad.

She revealed that even though parenting is not easy, John makes it look like it is. He somehow makes every day better than the previous one for his kids. Ella also added that she hopes to be half as good a parent as John someday. John himself shared a message for the kids.
JOHN TRAVOLTA’S DAUGHTER THANKS HIM FOR MAKING EVERY DAY BETTER AND SAYS SHE HOPES TO BE HALF AS GOOD A PARENT AS HE IS.
Sometimes, dads don’t get as much credit as moms in parenting. But the truth is, a father’s role in a child’s life is just as important, and they deserve the same love. Ella Travolta wanted to appreciate her dad, John Travolta, for everything he does, and she shared some heartfelt words.
At Bright Side, we believe that sharing kind words strengthens bonds, so we want to share this sweet exchange with our audience. Ella honored John on his special day.

The 21-year-old actress posted a picture on her Instagram with her dad and brother. In the caption, she said her dad is her “best friend” and someone who brings joy to her in both good times and bad.

She revealed that even though parenting is not easy, John makes it look like it is. He somehow makes every day better than the previous one for his kids. Ella also added that she hopes to be half as good a parent as John someday.
John himself shared a message for the kids.

John Travolta feels really happy and lucky to be the dad of his two children. He loves encouraging and treating his kids well. He recently shared that his daughter Ella will be in a new version of Alice in Wonderland. And of course, he proudly mentioned that he’s a “very proud dad.” He’s been keeping his family strong since last year.

Last year, John Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston, passed away after they were married for 29 years. She was 57 years old and had been fighting breast cancer. After she passed away, John took a break to cope with the sadness and support his children. Before this, he also experienced the loss of his oldest son, Jett, in 2009.

What’s the sweetest thing your dad has done for you? And you for him? We’d love to see your photos together in the comments below!
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