James Earl Jones passed away in Dutchess County, New York, on Sept. 9 at the age of 93 due to complications caused by type 2 diabetes. He was best known as the voice of iconic characters such as Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King.”
James Earl Jones had a long career in film and theater. Earning an EGOT, a combination of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
- An Emmy Award for Jones’s performance in Heat Wave (1990) and Gabriel’s Fire (1991)
- A Grammy Award for Jones’s spoken word recording of the book, the Great American Documents
- An Oscar Award recognizing Jones’s contributions to film
- A Tony Award for Jones’s performance in The Great White Hope (1970)
Born in 1931, Jones graduated from the University of Michigan in 1953 with a degree in drama. He began his acting career in theaters in 1957 before transitioning to film and television.
Over the course of his entire career, he worked for more than six decades, becoming a highly regarded figure in the entertainment industry.