James Earl Jones, iconic actor who voiced Darth Vader in 'Star Wars', dies

By 
 September 10, 2024

James Earl Jones, the iconic Hollywood actor who provided the deep, menacing voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars movies, has died. He was 93.

The award-winning actor died at his home Monday in Dutchess County, New York, while surrounded by family, his agent Barry McPherson said.

As Darth Vader, Jones uttered the words, "No, I am your father" in one of the most famous scenes in movie history.

James Earl Jones dies

While mostly known as the brassy voice of Darth Vader, Jones was a prolific TV, movie and stage actor with a host of accolades and memorable roles under his belt.

Jones received an honorary Oscar in 2011, along with three Tony Awards, two Emmys, and a Grammy.

The actor made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick's classic Cold War comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Jones played one of the crew members of the B-52 plane that receives orders from a crazed general to drop a nuclear bomb on the Soviet Union.

Across his long career, Jones also appeared in such popular movies as Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner, Eddie Murphy's comedy Coming To America and the coming-of-age classic The Sandlot.

He reprised the role of Vader in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, and the TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

George Lucas reacts

The Mississippi native, who took up acting to overcome a childhood stutter, said he "lucked out" to land the role of Vader in 1977's Star Wars. 

"I'm simply special effects," he told the American Film Institute in 2009. "George [Lucas] wanted, pardon the expression, a darker voice, so he hires a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, who stutters. That's the voice, that's me. I lucked out. From all these so-called handicaps, I lucked out to get a job that paid me $7,000, and I thought that was good money."

Star Wars creator Gorge Lucas called Jones "a most unique voice both in art and spirit".

"For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being," the director said. "He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn.

"James will be missed by so many of us... friends and fans alike."

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