Actor James Earl Jones, best known for playing Darth Vadar’s voice in Star Wars, has died at age 93. A representative issued a statement saying the star died at his New York home surrounded by his family. The actor enjoyed a long and successful career on stage and screen and was one of the few of his profession to reach EGOT status. This refers to actors who win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. A cause of death has not been provided, but it is known that Mr. Jones had long-term health problems, including a type 2 diabetes diagnosis in the 1990s.
Born in Mississippi in 1931, his mother was a teacher, and his father was a chauffeur. Robert Earl Jones left the family soon after his son’s birth and pursued an acting career in New York City. The two men reconciled when they met again in the 1950s. James Earl Jones was raised by his grandparents in Michigan from age five, and as a child, he suffered from a severe stutter that caused him to stop speaking. “My first year of school was my first mute year,” he said, adding that his silence continued until he entered high school where his English teacher helped him to regain his voice by encouraging him to read poetry aloud in class.
Mr. Earl Jones later studied medicine at the University of Michigan but soon switched to drama, which he described as his great love. After serving in the military in Colorado, he moved to New York and studied acting at the American Theatre Wing while working as a janitor to support himself financially. His break came in 1967 with a part in The Great White Hope, a play that premiered in Washington, DC, but was quickly moved to Broadway. A decade later, he won his most famous role and was catapulted to stardom for providing the famous voice of the Star Wars villain Darth Vadar. He would continue in the role in subsequent sequels, and in 1994, played Mustafa in Disney’s The Lion King.
He also starred in Coming to America in 1988, Field of Dreams in 1989, The Hunt for Red October in 1990, and made several guest appearances on TV shows including Law and Order, Frasier, and The Simpsons.
