James Earl Jones, the famous actor known for his deep, powerful voice as Darth Vader in *Star Wars* and Mufasa in *The Lion King*, has died at 93.
Jones was considered one of the greatest actors of his time, with a career that covered everything from Shakespeare plays to major Hollywood movies. He was one of the few actors to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, showing his incredible talent.
His death was reported by *Deadline*, through his representatives at Independent Artist Group.
James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, and grew up with his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. Despite becoming one of the most famous voices in the world, he struggled with a stutter as a child.
“I couldn’t talk,” Jones shared in a 1996 interview. “My first year of school, I didn’t speak, and this continued until high school.” A teacher helped him overcome his stutter by encouraging him to read poetry out loud.
After serving in the US Army during the Korean War, Jones decided to follow his passion for acting. He studied at the American Theatre Wing, supporting himself by working as a janitor. By the 1960s, he was recognized as one of the great Shakespearean actors of his time, playing famous roles like Othello and King Lear. He also made his film debut in the 1964 Stanley Kubrick movie *Dr. Strangelove*, playing Lt. Lothar Zogg.
In 1967, James Earl Jones played a boxer in *The Great White Hope*, a role that earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He later played the same role in the 1970 movie version and received his first Oscar nomination for it.
While he had many great acting roles, Jones became most famous for one where he didn’t even appear on screen: the voice of Darth Vader in *Star Wars*. Though another actor, David Prowse, wore the costume, Jones provided the deep, powerful voice that made Darth Vader one of the most unforgettable characters in movie history.
James Earl Jones initially chose not to be credited for his role as Darth Vader, but it has become one of his most famous performances. He continued to voice Vader for many years, including in the 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 voicing Vader but agreed to let his voice be used in future projects through artificial intelligence and old recordings.
Jones also voiced another beloved character, Mufasa, in Disney’s 1994 film *The Lion King*. He returned to voice Mufasa again in the 2019 remake.
In the 1980s and 1990s, James Earl Jones appeared in many popular movies like *Conan the Barbarian*, *Coming to America*, *Field of Dreams*, *The Hunt for Red October*, *Patriot Games*, and *The Sandlot*. He also won his second Tony Award for his role in the original production of August Wilson’s play *Fences*.
Jones received eight Emmy Award nominations for his TV work and won twice in 1991: once for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for *Heat Wave*, and once for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for *Gabriel’s Fire*.
He also kept performing on Broadway, starring in revivals of plays such as *On Golden Pond*, *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof*, *Driving Miss Daisy*, *The Best Man*, and *You Can’t Take It With You* over the past 20 years.
James Earl Jones received many awards and honors during his impressive career. In 2011, he was given an Honorary Academy Award, joining a special group of people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, known as “EGOT.” In 2022, Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor.
Rest in peace to the legendary James Earl Jones, one of the greatest actors of our time. Please share this story to remember him.
Do You Recognize This Old-School Communication Tool?
Times are changing and it seems as if the more we progress, the faster they change. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to communicate but the way we communicate has adjusted over the years.
Many of us can probably look back and remember the time when we were tethered to the wall when we wanted to talk to someone on the phone. We wrote letters and put them in the mail and if somebody wasn’t home, we couldn’t talk to them at that moment.
These days, we communicate by sending text messages or messages over social media. We have video calls and if we can get in touch with somebody, it quickly gets on our nerves.
There have also been a number of innovations over the years that were brilliant in their time but these days, they are not used very often. That is especially true in the day when we used to use the Postal Service to deliver letters and packages on a regular basis.
One of the most important things to consider when delivering a letter or package was the weight. It would make a difference in the shipping rate, and that is where this unique invention, the postal scale, comes into play.
Long before we were sending emails and text messages, we were delivering things through the Postal Service. Analog mechanisms that included balances and springs were used to determine how much we would pay in postage. It wasn’t an exact science, but it was close enough.
Postal scales still exist today but they are much more advanced. They are precise instruments that have advanced features and it makes it much less personal when it comes to getting service at the post office.
Aside from the fact that the older postal scales were not 100% accurate, the design and nostalgia are something to consider. These are more than an item that used to weigh the letters we sent, they are collector’s items and some enthusiasts will pay big money for them.
So if you ever see a vintage postal scale, stop to ponder over what it may have done in its lifetime. It’s an item we don’t use as much anymore, but it is an item from time that we should forget.
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