American actor James Earl Jones, known for his voice as Darth Vader and for his prolific career in theater and film, died Monday at the age of 93, his agents announced.
Mufasa in “The Lion King”
In addition to the legendary villain of the “Star Wars” saga, the actor also dubbed Mufasa in the cartoon “The Lion King”.
“Rest in peace, Dad,” reacted on X actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in George Lucas’ intergalactic opera.
The sepulchral voice of Darth Vader, and his famous “I am your father”, shouted at Luke during a lightsaber fight, have left their mark on millions of movie fans.
In a career spanning more than 60 years, James Earl Jones established himself as one of the pioneering African-American actors of his generation, after overcoming a stutter that severely handicapped him during childhood.
Theatre legend
He is one of the few artists to have been awarded all the major awards in the American entertainment industry (Emmy Awards for television, Grammy Awards for music, Oscars for cinema, and Tony Awards for theater).
His first film role came in Stanley Kubrick’s “Doctor Strangelove,” where he played Lieutenant Zogg aboard a B-52 bomber.
Other prominent roles include King Jaffe Joffer in “Coming to America” and the villain Thulsa Doom in “Conan the Barbarian.”
In the theater, the actor notably played in “L’Insurgé”, a play retracing the career of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion boxer, and in “The Blacks”, the play by Jean Genet entitled “Les Nègres” in French, alongside the poet Maya Angelou.
