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Posted in: Movies, Star Wars, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: darth vader, James Earl Jones, obituary, star wars
James Earl Jones: Hollywood Pays Tribute to Actor & Star Wars Legend
The entertainment industry is paying tribute to the late James Earl Jones, the EGOT winner who also voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars.
James Earl Jones, one of the most revered actors whose presence is equally as commanding on the screen, stage, and behind the microphone, passed at 93 on September 9. With a career spanning over seven decades, the actor, who overcame a stuttering problem, developed a passion for performing and made his on-screen debut in the 1962 TV series Monitor. His feature film debut was for Stanley Kubrick in the 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. With 190 credits in his name including some of the biggest franchises, films, and TV shows in pop culture including Roots, Conan the Barbarian (1982), Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan films, The Sandlot (1993), The Lion King, Coming to America, Field of Dreams (1989), and of course, Star Wars as the voice of Darth Vader in several franchise projects with his final in 2022's Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. To say that Jones was renowned would be an understatement as one of the few entertainers to win the complete set of awards known as the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Several from across the industry paid tribute to the late actor.
Star Wars Family and Peers Pay Tribute to James Earl Jones
"#RIP dad 💔" wrote Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, on social media. Jones was the last actor associated with Darth Vader from the original trilogy to pass along with David Prowse, who wore the suit; Sebastian Shaw, the face of the character and first actor to play Vader's alter ego, Anakin Skywalker as shown in Return of the Jedi (1983); and Bob Anderson, the swordmaster who performed the lightsaber sequences. Creator George Lucas called Jones an "incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit. For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us…friends and fans alike."
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said Jones was "one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time, with an iconic body of work across film, stage and television." The Star Wars website wrote, "Everyone at Lucasfilm was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of James Earl Jones at the age of 93" and "Thank you for everything, James." New York's Empire State Building lit up in Vader's signature colors of black and red as an image featuring the Dark Lord of the Sith was adorned at the sign of the building with the post writing, "Rest in Peace Lord Vader."
Field of Dreams co-star Kevin Costner wrote, "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."
"He's my hero," actor Denzel Washington told Variety. "My college theater career started because of 'The Emperor Jones' and 'Othello' with James Earl Jones." On ABC's The View, host Whoopi Goldberg said, "Before we go, we want to send our condolences out to the family of James Earl Jones. He was one of the greatest." Several others including Star Wars co-stars Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, the U.S. Naval Institute, Major League Baseball, Jeopardy!, LeVar Burton, Sesame Street, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Matthew Modine, Wendell Pierce, Sean Hayes,Turner Classic Movies,and more.
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