The voice behind Hollywood’s iconic characters from Star Wars and Lion King, James Earl Jones, died on Monday, at the age of 93, his agent confirmed.
A widely celebrated personality who gave life to Star Wars Darth Vader and the Lion King’s Mufasa, Earl was beloved and well-versed in the world of acting. Jones also lent his voice to CNN for its tagline, “This is CNN.”
Throughout his career, he has won three Tony awards, two Emmys, a Grammy, and was recognized as an honorary Oscar in 2011 for lifetime achievement. However, the celebrated actor did not always possess the commanding and comforting voice that is known to many.
In the past, Jones recalled how he was unable to speak for most of his childhood due to his stutter. His voice developed as a result of his high school teacher’s effort to have him recite poetry before class. It was there that Jones found great admiration for performing, expanding his horizons to Broadway, film, and television.
Upon the announcement of his passing, numerous personalities posted on social media to mourn his death.
American actor and director, Kevin Costner was among the people who grieved his passing.
“That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams,” his post read.
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Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker also posted on Instagram.
“One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed. #RIP dad 💔,” Mark captioned his post.
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Jones was surrounded by his family when he passed away at his home in New York. No cause of death was shared with the public.
