James Earl Jones, who overcame a severe stutter and racial prejudice to become one of the most revered voices in film and stage history, has passed away at 93.
His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed that Jones died peacefully at home on Monday. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
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The legendary actor lent his commanding voice to iconic characters like Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King.
He won numerous accolades, including two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, and a Grammy.
In 2022, a Broadway theatre was renamed in his honour, cementing his legacy.
Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in a small shack in Mississippi. His early years were marked by challenges.
His father abandoned the family when he was six years old, and Jones was later adopted by his grandparents.
Jones moved to Michigan, where he developed a stutter that plagued him throughout his youth.
“A world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,” Jones wrote in his autobiography, Voices and Silences.
In 1972, Jones reprised his role in the film version of The Great White Hope and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
American actor Samuel L. Jackson said: “If you were an actor or aspired to be an actor, if you pounded the pavement in these streets looking for jobs, one of the standards we always had was to be a James Earl Jones.”
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