Touching tributes pour in for Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones
Tributes for actor James Earl Jones have poured in following the death of the legendary movie star. Jones passed away at the age of 93 at his home in Duchess County, New York, and although no cause of death has currently been revealed, it was known that Jones had type 2 diabetes.
Known and loved for his booming, deep voice, Jones gave several performances of genuinely iconic status throughout his career. He provided the voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and also lent Mustafa from The Lion King his distinctive vocals.
Hones had once spoken of the art of voice acting, noting, “It’s a bit like the ancient Greek form where the actors would wear masks, […] the masks are the animators’ drawings, and we just simply supply all the behaviours, emotions and feelings behind that mask.”
As a child, though, Jones suffered from being mute as a result of a trauma-induced stutter. Following the departure of his parents, Jones was made to live with his grandparents, which he found difficult and, unable to talk, he was taught in a separate classroom from his peers.
“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter,” the actor had once explained. Eventually, though, Jones learned to speak with the help of his high school teacher, who told him, “You have a man’s voice now, an impressive bass, but don’t let that impress you. If you start listening to your voice, no one else will.”
As an adult, Jones found his first major film role in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove and in the following years, he proceeded to appear in countless iconic movies, including Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner.
The stage also profited greatly from Jones’ talent and prowess as an actor, and he persistently appeared on Broadway to deliver characters on stage. In fact, through his work on stage and in the recording studio, Jones became one of the few people to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
Best known for voicing legendary fictional characters like Vader and Mufasa, Jones returned to his famous characters on a number of occasions later in his life, taking on Simba’s father in the live-action version of The Lion King and Luke Skywalker’s in Rogue One. Jones signed off his brilliant career with an effort in Coming 2 America.
Several notable figures and institutions have offered their tributes to Jones’s legacy. Colman Domingo called Jones “A master of our craft,” while Matthew Modine noted how “honoured” he was to work with the actor. Nasa also delivered a touching message: “Today, we look up at the stars and remember the great James Earl Jones. As Mufasa, he reminded us that those stars will always be there to guide us.”
