James Earl Jones, a veteran United States actor of the “Star Wars” and “Coming to America” films, died Monday.
Jones, who was 93, was confirmed dead by a representative, Barry McPherson, in a statement.
“He passed this morning surrounded by his loved ones,” McPherson said. “He was a great man.”
Jones was an acclaimed star of stage and screen, winning Tony, Emmy and Grammy awards, though later his unmistakable voice became as famous as his usually smiling face.
He invited generations of TV viewers with the signature “This is CNN” line for the cable news channel, had parental gravitas as the brave Mufasa in Disney’s classic 1994 animated “The Lion King” and its 2019 remake, but was most famous for his signature lines (“I am your father”) as Vader.
“I’ve done a King Lear, too! Do the kids know that? No, they have the Darth Vader poster to sign. But it’s OK,” Jones said in a 2010.
“When you appear before an audience, you learn to accept whatever they give you. Hopefully they give you their ears, as Antony said.”
A native of Arkabutla, Jones was raised by his grandparents in Michigan and overcame a stutter in early childhood. After studying drama at the University of Michigan, he moved to New York in 1957 to follow in the footsteps of his father, Robert Earl – who left before Jones was born – as an actor.
That same year, he made his Broadway debut as Cinna The Senator in “Infidel Caesar,” beginning a storied theater career that included Tony-winning turns in “The Great White Hope” (1969) and “Fences” (1987) as well as high-profile roles in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Driving Miss Daisy” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”
On the big screen, Jones first appeared in 1964’s classic Cold War satire “Dr. Strangelove,” earned a best-actor Oscar nomination for the 1970 film adaptation of “Great White Hope,” and over the course of five decades also starred in “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Coming to America” (1988) and “Field of Dreams” (1989).
Punch
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