James Earl Jones, the beloved stage and screen actor who lent his iconic, deep voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has died at 93.
Regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, Jones’ career spanned Shakespeare to Hollywood hits. He is one of the few actors to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony Award.
The actor’s death was reported by Deadline, via his representatives at Independent Artist Group.
James Earl Jones was born January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi and raised by his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. While he would later become one of the most famous voices in the world, he says he suffered from a stutter in his youth.
“I was a stutterer. I couldn’t talk,” Jones recalled in a 1996 interview. “So my first year of school was my first mute year, and then those mute years continued until I got to high school.” A teacher encouraged him to overcome his stutter by reading poetry aloud.
Jones served in the US Army during the Korean War, and after decided to pursue a career in acting. He studied at the American Theatre Wing, working as a janitor to support himself. By the 1960s, Jones was establishing himself as one of his generation’s great Shakespearean actors, playing roles like Othello and King Lear. He also made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1964 comedy Dr. Strangelove, as bombadier Lt. Lothar Zogg.
In 1967, he played a boxer in The Great White Hope, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He reprised the role in the 1970 film version, receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
Amidst all his acclaimed acting work, Jones soon landed his most well-known and iconic role — one where he didn’t even have to appear on set: voicing the villainous Darth Vader in Star Wars. While Vader was played in costume by David Prowse, Jones dubbed over the lines with his own deep bass voice, helping to create one of the most famous characters in movie history.
While Jones originally opted to go uncredited for the role, it has become perhaps his most famous performance. He continued to voice Vader for decades, in the two sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the prequel Revenge of the Sith and the spin-off Rogue One. In 2022, Jones retired from the role, but signed an agreement for his voice to be used in future projects using artificial intelligence and archive recordings.
Jones also provided the voice of another beloved movie character, Mufasa in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. Jones later reprised the role in the 2019 remake.
Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Jones appeared in many Hollywood films, including Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and The Sandlot. He also won his second Tony Award, starring in the original production of August Wilson’s Fences.
He received eight Emmy Award nominations for his television work, winning twice in 1991: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Heat Wave and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire.
Jones also continued to perform on Broadway: over the past 20 years he starred in revivals of On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man and You Can’t Take it With You.
Jones was the recipient of many awards and honors throughout his acclaimed career. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, making him one of the only people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, known as “EGOT.” Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor in 2022.
Rest in peace to the iconic James Earl Jones, one of the greatest actors of our time — please share this
91-Yr-Old TikTok Star Wears Mini-Skirts And Dances For Her Followers
On TikTok or any other social media platform, you frequently see people dancing while wearing high heels and miniskirts. Maybe you’ve seen this yourself, but Betsy Lou doesn’t look quite like what you had in mind.
Everyone wants to make the most of life, and Betsy Lou is someone who personally feels strongly about that. She broke preconceptions as a grandma and became popular on TikTok. Who knows, maybe she’s just enjoying herself and not afraid at all.
Betsy Lou’s passion for dancing isn’t the only thing that makes her appealing; she also possesses a certain sense of style that one would expect from a granddaughter or even great granddaughter. She frequently appears in flashy outfits and short skirts.
@betsylou.pianoCan’t Take My Eyes Off Of You!#91yearsold#betsylou#fyp#canttakemyeyesoffofyou#tiktokdance♬ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Original Extended Version – Boys Town Gang
On TikTok, Betty Lou has become into a bit of a Dan sensation in addition to being a style icon. It’s even more fascinating to watch because she really adores playing the piano, which she does so well.
She is undoubtedly a multi-talented woman, as you can see when you browse through her social media pages. She may appear to be dancing and showing off her moves at any point, but the 91-year-old said that the piano will play lovely music.
@betsylou.pianoYes Sir! That’s My Baby on piano!#betsylou#91yearsold#piano#fyp#yessirthatsmybaby♬ original sound – Betsy Lou
Betty Lou is definitely someone to keep an eye on, and her actions will probably cause her to become viral in the future. Just remember that she is who she is and doesn’t care who knows it, so don’t try to make her change who she is or how she looks.
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