‘He was a great man’: Actor James Earl Jones dead at 93

James Earl Jones, the actor known for voicing Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and his role in “Field of Dreams,” died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY, reports Deadline. He was 93.
Jones’ representative Barry McPherson confirmed the actor’s death in a statement to USA Today. His cause of death has not been revealed.
“He passed this morning surrounded by his loved ones,” McPherson told USA Today. “He was a great man.”
Hailed for his distinguished voice, Jones was acclaimed for his work in television, movies and on stage. He is part of an elect group of stars to earn an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), which he claimed in 2011 when he received a Lifetime Achievement honor at the Academy Awards, per Billboard.
In addition to his EGOT, Jones won a Golden Globe, SAG award, was a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree and earned a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award in 2009, per Variety.
Jones’ film and television credits well exceed 100, though his most famous roles are in: “Star Wars,” “Field of Dreams,” “The Lion King,” “Coming to America,” “The Sandlot,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Great White Hope.”
Born January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones got his first professional acting role in 1957 in the Off Broadway production “Wedding in Japan,” per Variety. He continued acting well into his senior years. He even reprised is voice role as “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader in the 2022 series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
In 2014, Jones shared his “secret” to career longevity with The New York Times.
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” Jones said. “I still consider myself a novice.”
Fans of Jones are mourning the loss of the actor on X, hailing him for his heavy impact in movies such as “Star Wars,” “Lion King,” “The Sandlot” and “Field of Dreams.”