James Earl Jones, the legendary Hollywood actor and iconic voice of Darth Vader, has passed away at the age of 93, his agent Barry McPherson confirmed. Jones died early Monday morning surrounded by his family. Renowned for his deep, gravelly voice, Jones brought life to numerous characters in a career spanning decades, including roles in Field of Dreams, Coming to America, and Conan the Barbarian.

He was most famously the voice behind Star Wars’ Darth Vader, a role that earned him widespread acclaim. Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, paid tribute by posting “RIP Dad” with a broken heart emoji on social media. Jones was also beloved as the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King and for delivering CNN’s signature tagline, “This is CNN.”

Born in Mississippi in 1931, Jones struggled with a stammer throughout his childhood, which he eventually overcame, developing the powerful voice that would define his career. Over his lifetime, Jones won numerous awards, including Emmys, Tony Awards, a Grammy, and an honorary Oscar. His role as Darth Vader spanned the original trilogy, later appearances in Rogue One, and The Rise of Skywalker.

Jones often referred to his Darth Vader voice work as a “special effect” job and initially did not want to be credited. Beyond his film work, Jones was also known for his television roles, including playing Alex Hailey in Roots: The Next Generations, and won an Emmy for his performance in Gabriel’s Fire. A celebrated stage actor as well, Jones performed iconic Shakespeare roles, including Othello and King Lear.


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