James Earl Jones, Star Wars and The Lion King Voice Actor, Dead at 93

Hollywood has lost an acting legend.

James Earl Jones—the actor whose deep and resonant voice can be heard in Star Wars and The Lion King—died on Sept. 9 at home in Dutchess County, N.Y., his rep confirmed to multiple outlets. He was 93.

Born on Jan. 17, 1932, in Arkabutla, Miss., Jones spent much of his childhood in Michigan with his grandparents. During that time, Jones struggled with a severe stutter—an experience that eventually taught him the power of his own voice.

"As a small child, I would communicate to my family, or at least those who didn't mind being embarrassed by my stutter," he recalled in a 2010 interview with the Daily Mail. "By the time I got to school, my stuttering was so bad that I gave up trying to speak properly."

However, Jones overcame his issues with speech through the help of an English teacher who got him "involved with words."

"He got me engaged in the debating class, the dramatic reading class and so on," he shared. "He got me talking and reading poetry—Edgar Allan Poe was my favorite."

His newfound love of language led a degree in drama at the University of Michigan. From there, Jones served in the United States Army, in which he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Upon being discharged in 1955, he moved to New York City and began pursuing a career in theater. Following his Broadway debut in 1958's Sunrise at Campobello, Jones starred in productions of The Egg, Infidel Caesar and The Great White Hope, which won him the title of Best Actor in a Play at the 1969 Tony Awards.

In addition to his work on stage, Jones had a successful career in film and television. He made his silver screen debut in 1964's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and went on to appear in beloved works such as Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, The Sandlot and Coming to America. On TV, Jones' acting credits included Roots, L.A. Law, Gabriel's Fire, Law & Order, Frasier and House.

Known for his powerful speaking voice, Jones' most iconic role was perhaps the voice Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. He also notably provided the voice for Mufasa in The Lion King and Santa Claus in Recess, as well as the famed "This Is CNN" tagline for the news network. In fact, his prolific voice-over career even spanned into narration for numerous audiobooks.

Aside from his Tony, Jones' other accolades included an Emmy for his work in Roots: The Next Generation, a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor and a National Medal of Arts.

But despite his revered accomplishments, Jones always remained humble and gracious, never forgetting his roots.

"I have no presumptions, no arrogance about my voice," he shared during a 1995 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show. "It fails me often because I'm a stutterer."

Jones is survived by his son Flynn Earl Jones, who he shared with late wife Cecilia Hart.

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