WASHINGTON – Stage and screen actor James Earl Jones died Monday in his Dutchess County, New York, home at age 93, United Press International (UPI) reported.
Known on screen for nearly 200 roles including Coming to America and Field of Dreams, Jones was best known for his deep voice.
He provided the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga and Mufasa in both 1994 and 2019 versions of The Lion King.
Jones also was the voice announcing “This is CNN” and commercials for Bell Atlantic, Verizon and DirecTV.
In 2017, the Tonys gave Jones a Lifetime Achievement Award for his career in theatre. He had won Tony Awards for performances in The Great White Hope and Fences.
Jones also reprised his role as boxer Jack Jefferson in the film version of The Great White Hope, inspired by Jack Johnson. Jones portrayed other real-life figures Malcolm X in The Greatest and Alex Haley in Roots.
Other popular roles include Conan the Barbarian villain Thulsa Doom, Jack Ryan mentor Greer in the Tom Clancy movies, and neighbour Mr Mertle in The Sandlot.
His last on screen appearance was reprising his role as King Joffer in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America, and last voice appearance was as Darth Vader in the 2022 Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. – September 10, 2024