The Oscar nominee was known for voicing Darth Vader in “Star Wars.”
Legendary actor James Earl Jones, best known for his innumerable movie roles and the booming voice of the character of Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise, has died, his representative confirmed to ABC News.
He was 93 years old.
Jones died on Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by his family, according to longtime agent Barry McPherson.
The thespian, whose powerful, deep voice brought to life the iconic villain of Darth Vader, acted for more than six decades and won three Tony Awards, including a lifetime honor in 2017, two Emmys, and a Grammy. He was recognized for lifetime achievement by the Academy Awards in 2011.
Jones was born in 1931 in Mississippi and famously battled a severe stutter as a child.
It was the stutter that led Jones into acting after a high school teacher used poetry to help him speak more clearly. After college and then the Army, serving in the Korean War, Jones eyed Broadway for his start in theater and the arts.
In the 1950s and ’60s, Jones was a Broadway staple. From “On Golden Pond” to “The Best Man,” his work earned four Tony nominations, winning for “The Great White Hope” in 1969 and “Fences” in 1987.
James Earl Jones was the second African-American actor to be nominated for an Academy Award, just after Sydney Poitier.
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