Legendary American actor James Earl Jones, who was best known for being the voice of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died at the age of 93.Â
According to media reports, Jones suffered from diabetes for many years. He died on Monday morning while he was surrounded by his family.
He has starred in many films, which include Field of Dreams, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, and The Lion King.
Darth Vader
He rose to prominence as the leading black stage actor of his generation in the 1960s, when he was one of the most captivating figures in American theatre, second only to Marlon Brando.
However, he achieved his widest fame as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars. In the popular movie, he gave supervillain Darth Vader his distinctive, gravelly voice.
The actor in 1965 became one of the first African American actors in a continuing role on a daytime drama (As the World Turns) and worked well into his 80s, where he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Centre Honours.
He was also given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theatre was renamed in his honour.
Born in a shack
Jones’ father had already left the family on January 17, 1931, to pursue a career as a boxer and, later, an actor.
He was born in a shack in segregated Mississippi by the light of an oil lamp. When he was six, his mother took him to live with her parents on their farm in Michigan.
“A world ended for me, the safe world of childhood. The move from Mississippi to Michigan was supposed to be a glorious event. For me it was a heartbreak, and not long after, I began to stutter,” Jones wrote in his autobiography.
Too embarrassed to speak, Jones remained virtually mute for years, communicating with teachers and fellow students with handwritten notes until a sympathetic teacher helped him recover his voice.
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