James Earl Joneshas died at the age of 93. The legendary actor is best known for voicingStar Wars' Darth Vader andMufasa inThe Lion King, as well as numerous other notable roles. Jones was born on August 22, 2025, and got his start in television and on the stage. His first movie role came in 1964’sDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.From that point on, he became a prominent fixture in Hollywood, with his final onscreen role coming in 2021’sComing 2 America.
PerDeadline, Jones died on the morning of September 9. His representatives confirmed the news. A cause of death was not provided at the time of publication, but it was confirmed he passed at his home in Duchess County, New York. Tributes have begun pouring in across the internet, including one fromMark Hamill, who played Jones' onscreen son in the originalStar Warsmovies. Fittingly, Hamill simply wrote, “#RIP dad.”
He Created Multiple Iconic Characters And Achieved EGOT Status
Jones' impressive career spanned over six decades and saw him become one of the few performers to achieve EGOT status, which means he won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Some of his most prominent credits includeField of Dreams, The Sandlot, The Hunt for Red October,andThe Great White Hope,for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His final onscreen role inComing 2 Americasaw him reprise the role he played in the 1988 original, King Jaffe Joffer.
Tony
The Great White Hope(1969),Fences(1987), Honorary Lifetime Achievement (2017)
One of the most distinctive parts of Jones' screen presence came from his deep, resonant voice, which he used to create one of the most famous movie villains of all time. While the late David Prowse inhabited the Darth Vader suit, Jones voicedtheStar Warsantagonistin the original films and turned the Sith Lord into a striking character who would become the face of the franchise alongside its heroes. Jones returned for additionalStar Warsprojects over the years, including in 2016’sRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Though Jones' voice was used for the Disney+ seriesObi-Wan Kenobiin 2022, Respeecher software was used to recreate it. The actor signed a deal with Disney to allow the studio to use his voice for future projects, and he formally retired from the role later that year.
Jones also voiced Mufasa, the noble father to young Simba, inDisney’sThe Lion King. He notably returned to play the character once again in the studio’s 2019 live-action remake, making him the only original cast member to do so. Mufasa continues to be a legendary figure within the Disney canon, as the studio will release a prequel movie,Mufasa: The Lion King, centered on his origins this December. It is likely the film will be dedicated to Jones' memory.
In bringing such vivid characters to life, both in person and through his voice alone, Jones has become a part of film history, and his memory will live on through the projects he shared with the world. Even beyond Hollywood, Jones has a Broadway theater named after him, further demonstrating the impact he had on every area he worked in. He will certainly be missed by many.
