James Earl Jones, the legendary actor whose deep, resonant voice brought to life iconic characters such as Darth Vader in Star Wars, has passed away at the age of 93.
As per Deadline, The Lion King voice star died at his Dutchess County, New York, home on Monday, September 09, 2024.
Jones, who is recognised as one of the greatest actors in history for both the stage and the cinema, is one of the few performers to have earned an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
However, his Academy Award was honorary. In addition to two Daytime Emmys, Jones has won three Tony Awards, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977, and two Primetime Emmys.
Jones also provided the voice of Mufasa in the 1994 animated film and the 2019 hybrid version of The Lion King.
He also played a major role in A Piece of the Action (1977), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Soul Man (1986), Sneakers (1992), Patriot Games (1992), Coming to America (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1993), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Gang Related (1997), and Coming 2 America (2021) Judge Dredd (1995).
In addition, he provided the melodious voice for the well-known "This is CNN" promotional campaign for the cable news network.
Jones also frequently appeared as Third Rock from the Sun's narrator.
Additionally, he had three appearances on The Simpsons.
Notably, born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on January 17, 1931, Jones was recognised as a 2002 Kennedy Centre Honouree and was granted Lifetime Achievement Awards by both the National Board of Review in 1995 and SAG-AFTRA in 2009.
