Jones, who also voiced King Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King,” had a prolific and varied career.
James Earl Jones, an acclaimed and award-winning American stage and screen actor who used his deep, booming voice to bring the iconic “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader to life, has died at the age of 93.
Jones agent, Barry McPherson, said the legendary actor who was a longtime sufferer of diabetes, died at his home on Monday surrounded by family members. No cause of death was provided.
Career
Jones, who also voiced King Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King,” had a prolific and varied career.
Over six decades he worked with some of the greatest figures in cinema and theater, including Stanley Kubrick in his 1964 Cold War satire “Dr Strangelove,” AFP reported.
Jones also had roles in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film “Conan The Barbarian” the 1989 Kevin Costner movie “Field of Dreams” and “The Sandlot”.
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Darth Vader
While Darth Vader’s immense physicality was the result of the towering British actor David Prowse, the sinister voice that appeared to emanate from inside the reconstructed man-in-a-mask was that of Jones.
And it was Jones who gave the “Star Wars” franchise some of its most memorable lines, including when he reveals to Luke Skywalker –- played by a young Mark Hamill -– “I am your father.”
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