Renowned US actor James Earl Jones died on Monday at the age of 93, his agents announced.
Jones, a versatile actor, instilled a sense of fear in millions of cinema fans through his ominous voiceover work for the iconic Star Wars character, Darth Vader. In addition to voiceover roles, including Mufasa in 'The Lion King,' Jones is celebrated for his long acting career in both film and theatre.
His career in voice acting was unexpected, as a severe childhood stutter caused him to remain silent most of the time until he was eight.
“Stuttering is painful, in catechism class I tried reading and the kids behind me would laugh,” he told the Daily Mail in 2010.
Born in Mississippi in 1931, Jones moved to Michigan with his family at the age of five. After completing service as a lieutenant in the US Army, he moved to New York in the mid-1950s to pursue acting, working by night as a janitor. “I cleaned quite a few toilets,” he told US National Public Radio, NPR, in 2014.
Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958 with the play 'Sunrise at Campobello' at the Cort Theatre, renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022.
He performed in New York in Jean Genet’s 'The Blacks' from 1961 to 1964, alongside poet Maya Angelou. His first film role was in Stanley Kubrick’s 'Doctor Strangelove,' where he played Lieutenant Zogg on a B-52 bomber.
In 1969, Jones earned his first industry recognition with a Tony Award for his role in 'The Great White Hope.'
In total, he was nominated for four Tony Awards between 1969 and 2012, winning two, as well as a special Tony for his career in 2017. In 2011, he also received an Honorary Oscar.
However, his most famous role never saw him appear on screen. Star Wars creator George Lucas chose Jones, initially considering Orson Welles, to voice the most notorious villain in cinematic history, Darth Vader.
