NEW YORK (AP) — James Earl Jones, a distinguished actor renowned for his powerful presence on stage and screen, has passed away at the age of 93. He triumphed over racial discrimination and battled a severe stutter to become a celebrated figure, famously known for his booming voice in productions like CNN announcements, “The Lion King,” and the character of Darth Vader in “Star Wars.”
Barry McPherson, his agent, confirmed that Jones died on Monday morning at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley. The specific cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Jones was a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, making history in 1965 as one of the first African American actors to secure a recurring role in a daytime drama, “As the World Turns.” He continued to work well into his 80s, garnering numerous accolades including two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. He also received an honorary Oscar and a special Tony Award for his lifetime achievements. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor.
In his later years, Jones maintained an elegant demeanor, complemented by a sharp wit and an extraordinary work ethic. For instance, in 2015, prior to rehearsals for the Broadway play “The Gin Game,” he arrived fully prepared, having memorized the script and brought numerous notes filled with insights from the creative team. He expressed a commitment to always being in service to the work he loved.
AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports on the death of actor James Earl Jones at the age of 93.
Jones once remarked, “The need to tell stories has always existed. It probably began around campfires, when someone shared their adventures, like claiming they fought a bear and won.”
Jones crafted unforgettable characters, including the reclusive writer returning to fame in “Field of Dreams,” the boxer Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope,” the influential writer Alex Haley in “Roots: The Next Generation,” and a South African priest in “Cry, the Beloved Country.”
He was also a highly sought-after voice actor, famously bringing to life the menacing Darth Vader (“No, I am your father,” often misquoted as “Luke, I am your father”), as well as the noble King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 adaptations of Disney’s “The Lion King.” Additionally, he is remembered for announcing “This is CNN” during broadcasts. He won a Grammy in 1977 for his work on the “Great American Documents” audiobook.
James Earl Jones and Peter Cushing in a scene from “Star Wars.”
Samuel L. Jackson once said, “If you were an aspiring actor hoofing it in these streets searching for jobs, James Earl Jones set the standard we all aimed for.”
Jones appeared in numerous films, including “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Greatest” alongside Muhammad Ali, “Conan the Barbarian,” “Three Fugitives,” and played an admiral in three big-screen adaptations of Tom Clancy novels: “The Hunt for Red October,” “Patriot Games,” and “Clear and Present Danger.” He even had a rare romantic role opposite Diahann Carroll in the film “Claudine.”
LeVar Burton, who starred with Jones in the TV movie “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones,” honored him on X, stating, “There will never be another with his unique blend of gifts.”
Making his Broadway debut in 1958’s “Sunrise At Campobello,” Jones won his two Tony Awards for “The Great White Hope” (1969) and “Fences” (1987). He received additional nominations for “On Golden Pond” (2005) and “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” (2012). He was acclaimed for his performances in works by both Shakespeare and Athol Fugard. His more recent Broadway roles included performances in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Iceman Cometh,” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”
During his rise as a stage and television actor, he was a member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, performing in productions of “Othello,” “Macbeth,” and “King Lear,” as well as various off-Broadway plays.
Born on January 17, 1931, under an oil lamp in a small shack in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones faced challenges early in life. His father, Robert Earl Jones, abandoned his family to pursue a career in boxing and acting before James was born. At the age of 6, his mother took him to live with her parents on a farm near Manistee, Michigan, where they raised him.
Reflecting on his childhood, Jones wrote in his autobiography, “Voices and Silences,” “A world ended for me, the safe world of childhood. Though the move from Mississippi to Michigan was meant to be a wonderful new beginning, it felt like a heartbreak to me, and soon after, I developed a stutter.”
Embarrassed by his lack of speech, he often communicated using written notes for years. However, a supportive high school teacher named Donald Crouch encouraged him to read poetry aloud, a moment that helped him rediscover his voice.
In college at the University of Michigan, Jones initially pursued pre-med but ultimately switched to drama, while also playing basketball for four seasons. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1955.
After moving to New York, he lived with his father while attending the American Theater Wing program for young actors, where they supported each other by working odd jobs.
Jones found greater acclaim in 1970 with his role in “The Great White Hope,” based on the life of Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion, in a racially charged era. His compelling performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor in the film adaptation released in 1972.
Notably, both of Jones’ wives were actresses. He married Julienne Marie Hendricks in 1967, but they divorced later. In 1982, he wed Cecilia Hart, recognized for her role in the CBS police drama “Paris,” who sadly passed away in 2016. They had a son together, Flynn Earl, born in 1983.
FILE – James Earl Jones, left, greets the media alongside his wife Cecilia, center, and son Flynn, right, at the premiere of “The Lion King” in Los Angeles on June 12, 1994. Jones, who overcame racial bias and a significant speech difficulty to become an icon of stage and screen, passed away at age 93 on September 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tara Farrell, File)
A noteworthy event occurred in 2022 when the Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed to honor Jones, featuring heartfelt tributes from performers like Norm Lewis, who sang “Go the Distance,” and Brian Stokes Mitchell, who delivered “Make Them Hear You,” alongside remarks from Mayor Eric Adams, Samuel L. Jackson, and LaTanya Richardson Jackson.
Jones, though not directly engaged in political activism due to his stutter, believed deeply in the power of his art to influence people’s feelings. He stated to the AP, “I learned early on from people like Athol Fugard that you can’t change someone’s mindset, no matter what you do. But you can change how they feel.”
___
Mark Kennedy is reachable on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
