James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (Photo: Shutterstock)

Acting legend James Earl Jones died yesterday at the age of 93. The beloved actor was as recognizable for his iconic voice as for his face. He was not only the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars but also Mufasa in The Lion King (both the original 1994 animation and then the 2019 remake).

Jones was also known for numerous appearances in movies such as Field of Dreams, The Hunt For Red October, and Coming To America. He also enjoyed an illustrious stage career and was an EGOT award winner. 

Among those to pay tribute was actor Sean Hayes. Jones made several guest appearances on TV shows, playing himself. Hayes posted a clip of him and Jones on Will & Grace. Hayes’ character, Jack, tries to give Jones some advice on voice delivery during an acting masterclass. 

“It was truly an honor, Mr. Jones. You will be greatly missed,” said Hayes in his caption.

Jones appeared with another gay actor in another well-loved sitcom: The Big Bang Theory. Here he encounters Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons) in a restaurant. 

Darth Vader

Others to play tribute to Jones included Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. He simply posted “RIP dad” (Vader was famously revealed as Luke Skywalker’s father in The Empire Strikes Back). Hamill’s tweet has had over 670k likes.

The official social media account of the Empire State Building in New York received over half a million likes for a photo it posted of the iconic monument. The image was taken earlier this year during the building’s ‘Star Wars dynamic light show’ event. The skyscraper is bathed in red light and has a projection of Darth Vader.

Disney chief executive Bob Iger said: “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.”

“The stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.”

Star Trek’s George Takei also paid tribute.

“A great spirit and boundless, unique voice has left us,” said Takei. “James Earl Jones has passed, and he is returned to the great beyond. We are all the lesser for his loss, and we collectively mourn his passing and honor his great body of work.”

And Colman Domingo said, “Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best.”

Jones was married twice. His second wife, Cecilia Hart, died in 2016. Jones is survived by his son, Flynn, also an actor.

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