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James Earl Jones remembered by Hollywood as Star Wars actor Mark Hamill leads celebrity tributes with heartbreaking post Jones known as the voice of Star Wars supervillain and The Lion King's Mufasa He passed away on September 9 at his home in Dutchess County, NY Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] By Terry Zeller and Eve Buckland For Dailymail.Com Published: 23:33 BST, 9 September 2024 | Updated: 00:16 BST, 10 September 2024 e-mail 22 shares View comments The news of James Earl Jones' passing has reverberated through Hollywood and fan communities alike, leaving many in deep mourning.
The legendary voice behind iconic characters like Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King died on Monday, Sept. 9, at the age of 93 in his home in Dutchess County, NY. An EGOT winner and a towering figure in entertainment, Jones' impact on film, television, and theater was profound.
Tributes flooded in from celebrities and fans, honoring his extraordinary career and influence. Mark Hamill, renowned for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star wars saga, paid tribute to Jones, who famously voiced Darth Vader—Luke’s father in the series. Hamill's message carried a mix of heartbreak and humor, reflecting their iconic connection as father and son on-screen, as he tweeted, '#RIP dad' The news of James Earl Jones' passing has reverberated through Hollywood and fan communities alike, leaving many in deep mourning; (pictured 2017) Mark Hamill, renowned for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star wars saga, paid tribute to Jones, who famously voiced Darth Vader—Luke’s father in the series; (pictured Sunday) Kevin Costner, Jones’ Field of Dreams co-star, penned a tribute on Instagram, writing: 'That booming voice.
That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.
'If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa. I’m grateful to have been a witness to him making that magic happen.
Rest in peace, friend.' Octavia Spencer shared that Jones’ 'voice and talent will be remembered always' and that 'legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever.' Colman Domingo tweeted a throwback photo of Jones with a note that the legend was 'a master of our craft.
We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best.
' Actor LeVar Burton posted, 'James Earl Jones...
there will never be another of his particular combination of graces.' 'From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history,' said Bob Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. 'A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.
' Jones made his screen debut as a bombardier in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 black-comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove. Hamill's message carried a mix of heartbreak and humor, reflecting their iconic connection as father and son on-screen, as he tweeted, '#RIP dad' Jones never appears on screen when playing his most famous role, Darth Vader, as it was the former bodybuilder David Prowse who wore the iconic black suit Jones was handpicked by Star Wars creator George Lucas to provide Darth Vader’s chilling voice While he continued to develop his film career over the following decades, the Tony-winning actor maintained a regular presence on stage as well.
He never appears on screen when playing his most famous role, Darth Vader, as it was the former bodybuilder David Prowse who wore the iconic black suit. Jones was handpicked by Star Wars creator George Lucas to provide Darth Vader’s chilling voice. Jones once recalled, ''He thought about using Orson Welles but realized he might be too recognizable, so he hired me to do the voice, by just reading the words off the page.
I did it in a couple of hours.' Despite his pivotal role, Jones earned just $7,000 for his work on the first Star Wars film. However, he later shared that a series of commercials that followed more than compensated him, saying, 'They took good care of me.
' Initially, Jones didn't even want to be credited for his work, believing his voiceover contributions were merely part of the movie's special effects. Eventually, he agreed, and his unmistakable voice went on to define Darth Vader across multiple films, television series, and video games. Tributes flooded in from celebrities and fans, honoring his extraordinary career and influence 'I wanted to make Darth Vader more interesting, more subtle, more psychologically oriented,' Jones once said.
'He (Lucas) said, "No, no ...
you’ve got to keep his voice on a very narrow band of inflection, ‘cause he ain’t human."' Darth Vader's intense duel with Luke Skywalker in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back became one of the most pivotal and dramatic moments in the Star Wars saga. It was highlighted by Jones’ iconic delivery of one of the most famous lines in cinematic history: 'No, I am your father!' Jones was also widely recognized on television as 'the voice of CNN,' delivering the iconic line, 'This is CNN.
' 'We are deeply saddened to hear of James’ passing,' a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. 'He was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. 'That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James.
Our thoughts are with his family.' Rob Minkoff, director of The Lion King, shared with DailyMail.com exclusively that he had just learned of James Earl Jones' passing from his friend and the film's producer, Donald Paul Hahn.
Minkoff said, "It was just such an honor to really work with him on Lion King. It was incredible that he agreed to the movie, and he was perfect for it. He created this indelible character that has lived on.
'One of the interesting things that people ask me is , 'What was the inspiration for Lion King?” Actually, one of the big inspirations for it was Star Wars. So the fact that he was in Star Wars, there was a real connection. 'He played the ultimate villain in that movie and in our movie, he played the ultimate hero.
It was one of the things that made that film so memorable and different from many other Disney movies.' Jones was handpicked by Star Wars creator George Lucas (pictured 2006) to provide Darth Vader’s chilling voice Rob Minkoff, director of The Lion King, shared with DailyMail.com exclusively that ', "It was just such an honor to really work with him on Lion King.
It was incredible that he agreed to the movie, and he was perfect for it. He created this indelible character that has lived on.' Minkoff told DailyMail.
com that he will always remember his friend’s warmth and great sense of humor. 'He loved to laugh, and his laugh and his voice were obviously so incredible. You know, I remember when we had a test screening of [Lion King] very early on before the movie was released and we invited him to see it.
It was such a meaningful thing to have his reaction to the film. 'One of the things he pointed out were different inspirations for the film, and he really understood and recognized what they all meant. It was his sensitivity, was so incredible.
' When asked about Jones’ legacy, Minkoff said, ‘He really moved the needle. Obviously, things have changes so dramatically in the country and in the world, especially with regard to race and equality, and I think that he was really a leader in the transformation of the culture.' Share or comment on this article: James Earl Jones remembered by Hollywood as Star Wars actor Mark Hamill leads celebrity tributes with heartbreaking post e-mail 22 shares Add comment.
