Ionic EGOT-winning actor turned ancestor James Earl Jones has sadly died.
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Reps for Jones confirmed to Deadline that he passed away Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.
Known for his trademark commanding voice, he voiced legendary Star Wars villain Darth Vader and built an extraordinary career that spanned over 60 years.
He made his Broadway debut in 1958 at the Cort Theatre, which as Global Grind previously reported was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor in 2022. The renaming came after a$47 million restoration and expansion of the building.
Jones’ ability to revisit key roles was a hallmark of his career. He voiced Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King (1994), its 1998 sequel, and the 2019 remake.
He also played CIA deputy director Vice Admiral James Greer in three Jack Ryan films: The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Clear and Present Danger (1994).
His final performance was in 2021’s Coming 2 America, where he reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy, Coming to America.
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Deadline reports that he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in The Great White Hope (1971) and received an honorary Oscar in 2012. An eight-time Emmy nominee, he secured two wins in 1991: Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special for Heat Wave.
On Broadway, Jones dominated earning four Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play. He won twice—first in 1969 for The Great White Hope and again in 1987 for his role as Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Fences. In 2017, he was honored with a Special Tony Award.
His legacy of excellence also includes being a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree and receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards from SAG-AFTRA in 2009 and the National Board of Review in 1995.
We will miss him dearly.
R.I.P. James Earl Jones.