The actor, whose sepulchral timbre has marked generations of fans of George Lucas’ saga, is one of the pioneering African-American actors of his generation. He is also one of the few artists to have received all the major awards in his country’s film industry.
American actor James Earl Jones, known for lending his voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and for his prolific career in theater and cinema, died Monday, September 9 at the age of 93, his agents announced. In addition to the legendary villain of George Lucas’ saga, the actor also dubbed Mufasa in the Roi Lion from Disney. “Rest in peace dad”, reacted on X the actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker. The sepulchral voice of Darth Vader and his famous “i am your father” thrown at Luke during a lightsaber fight have left their mark on millions of movie fans. James Earl Jones initially refused to have his name appear in the film’s credits, out of respect for British actor David Prowse, who played Vader on screen.
In a career spanning more than sixty years, James Earl Jones has established himself as one of the pioneering African-American actors of his generation, after overcoming a stutter that severely handicapped him during childhood. Born in 1931 in Mississippi, a segregated state in the South, 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 with Dr. Strangelove Stanley Kubrick’s The Last Jedi, where he plays Lieutenant Zogg aboard a B-52 bomber. His other roles include King Jaffe Joffer in A prince in New York, alongside Eddie Murphy, or the villain Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarians. In the theater, the actor has notably played in the Insurgent, play retracing the career of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion boxer, and in The Blacks, Jean Genet’s play entitled the Negroes in French, alongside the poet Maya Angelou in particular.
Honorary Oscar
James Earl Jones notably won two Tony Awards and a special Tony for his entire career in 2017. In 2011, the cinema distinguished him with an honorary Oscar for his entire work. His death sparked many tributes in Hollywood on Monday. In addition to Mark Hamill, the African-American actor Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing) praised his career. “Thank you to dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders, he wrote about X. Rest now. You have given us your best.”
Filmmaker Barry Jenkins, who directed Mufasa: The Lion King, film which will be released in December and traces the beginnings of the feline monarch and his rival Scar, also expressed his emotion. “Forever and ever,” he published on X. “Thank you for revealing us to ourselves,” filmmaker Ava DuVernay shared on Instagram (Selma, Middle of Nowhere). She advised her fans to rewatch Claudine, 1974 romantic comedy starring James Earl Jones as a garbage man who falls in love with a black cleaning lady and mother of six. “This is one of my favorite movies. James Earl Jones is perfect.”
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