James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 85. He was best known for his roles in 'Field of Dreams', 'Star Wars' as the voice of Darth Vader, and 'The Lion King' as the voice of Mufasa.
PHOTO USE COURTESY OF AP
James Earl Jones, the esteemed actor known for voicing Star Wars villain Darth Vader, starring in Field of Dreams, and winning an EGOT, passed away this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 83.
James Earl Jones is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest stage and screen actors. He is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Jones has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and three Tony Awards. He was also presented with the Honorary Academy Award.
His career began with the Stanley Kubrick classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), and he went on to appear in some of the most successful films of all time. Jones is perhaps best known for his voice role as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
Jones also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King animated film (1994) and its hybrid/live-action adaptation (2019). Additionally, he lent his iconic voice to the famous "This is CNN" promo campaign for the cable news network.
Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, MS, his many big-screen credits include films such as Conan the Barbarian (1982), Coming to America (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Sneakers (1992). He has also made cameo appearances on The Simpsons three times.
