- James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader in the Star Wars films from 1977
- The actor had a distinguished career spanning decades in Hollywood
- He overcame a childhood stammer to have one of the most recognisable voices in cinema
One of the most iconic voices in movie history has fallen silent. James Earl Jones, who provided the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, has passed away aged 93.
Jones, known for his distinctive baritone, had a career in the movie industry over more than seven decades.
His first movie appearance came in 1964 in the huge hit Dr Strangelove. He then worked consistently right up to 2021, when he reprised his role of King Joffer in the sequel to Coming to America.
Jones was something of a trailblazer for black actors in Hollywood, along with the likes of Sidney Poitier. Some, such as Rae Dawn Chong – who starred with him in 1986’s Soul Man – acknowledged his influence.
He first began his career on stage, debuting on Broadway in 1957. He won a Tony Award for his performance in The Great White Hope in 1969. When he reprised his role in the 1970 film adaptation, it earning him an Oscar nomination and it kick-started his career on screen.
But Jones’ most iconic role came in 1977 when he voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope. While David Prowse was under the helmet on screen, it was felt he didn’t have the right voice, and Jones was brought in to voice it. His vocal performance in that film, and the ones that followed, has since become iconic.
He later also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King. His voice was also beamed into millions of houses daily as he was the voice of CNN’s famous ‘This is CNN’ tagline. That Jones became known for his voice was all the more remarkable as he had to overcome a childhood stammer.
