American actor James Earl Jones, best known for his role as Mufasa in The Lion King, has died.
The news of his death came after he passed away on Monday morning, surrounded by his family and his agent, Garry McPherson. He died at the age of 93 and the cause of his death is unknown.
James starred in a number of films during his career, including “The Lion King,” “Coming to America” and “Fields of Dreams.” He is most popularly known as the voice behind the Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader.
In addition to lending his voice to “Star Wars” and “The Lion King,” Jones also voiced characters in films such as “Field of Dreams.”
James also lent his voice to numerous television commercials and used his iconic phrase “This is CNN” to host newscasts for many years.
Early life and education
He was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, son of Ruth Conolly (teacher and maid) and Robert Jones (butler, boxer and chauffeur).
From the age of five, he was raised by his maternal grandparents, John Henry and Maggie Connolly, on their farm in Dublin, Michigan. James' father left shortly after he was born. The transition of moving in with his grandparents was traumatic for him, and he developed a stutter so profound that he was unable to speak. Jones always credited his then-English teacher, who discovered he had a gift for writing poems.
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In 1949, James graduated from Dickson Rural Agricultural School, now known as Brethren High School, in Michigan. He was vice president of his class.
Tributes
Star Trek actor LeVar Burton was one of the first to pay tribute to Jones, saying “there will never be another of his particular combinations of graces.”
American actor Colman Domingo also paid tribute to him: “Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us the best.”
Kevin Costner, who co-starred with him in “Field of Dreams,” said: “That resonant voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that radiated. There’s so much to say about his legacy, so I’ll just say how grateful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.”
Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer wrote that “Jones’ voice and talent will always be remembered” and that “legendary doesn’t even begin to describe her iconic roles and her impact on cinema forever.”
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Crystal Minkoff, wife of The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff, posted a photo of him holding a statue of Mufasa along with the words: “Rest in peace, Mr. Jones. You made a young animator's dream come true when you took on the role of Mufasa.
“Thank you for everything you have done for Rob. Your memory will live on.”
Considered by many to be one of the world's greatest stage and screen actors, he is one of the few performers to have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) award. Although his Academy Award was honorary, James has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a 1977 spoken word Grammy Award, and three Tony Awards.