James Earl Jones Jones Jr. passed away on the morning of Monday, September 9, according to multiple reports, including the Associated Press. His agent, Barry McPherson, reportedly confirmed that he passed away at his home in Dutchess County, New York. Jones was 93. The cause of his death is currently unknown.
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Here is a summary of James Earl Jones’ achievements.
He is known for his extensive acting credits, including ‘Field Of Dreams,’ ‘The Great White Hope,’ and lending his captivating voice to Darth Vader and ‘The Lion King.’ During his career, which lasted until the late ’80s, Jones became an EGOT winner. He has won two Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, three Tony Awards and a Grammy.
But his accolades didn’t stop there. In 1992, former President George Bush awarded James Earl Jones the National Medal of Arts. A decade later, in 2002, the Kennedy Center honored him. In 2011, he received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. A few years later, in 2017, he received a special Tony Award for the same reason. That same year, Harvard University awarded him an honorary degree.
Most recently, in 2022, the Colt Theatre was renamed in his honor as the James Earl Jones Theatre. The theater is where James made his Broadway debut in 1958, according to Deadline. Although he did not attend the star-studded ceremony, he later spoke out about the name change in a statement.
“It was unimaginable for me, standing in this very building 64 years ago when I began my Broadway career, that my name would be on this building today,” Jones said at the time. “Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration to all aspiring actors.”
According to Deadline, James Earl Jones has appeared on screen more than 200 times during his 60-year career.
Details about the actor’s childhood life
James Earl Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on January 17, 1931, “by the light of an oil lamp,” according to the AP. Ironically, his father abandoned the family before he was born to pursue a career in boxing and later acting. At age six, his grandparents adopted and raised him after his mother brought him to their farm in Michigan. Shortly after the move, James developed a severe stutter and became mute out of embarrassment. To communicate, he passed handwritten notes from hand to hand.
James found his voice after a high school teacher, Donald Crouch, made him read a poem aloud in class. With constant group work, James eventually became obsessed with speaking, debating and acting, as his autobiography, ‘Voices and Silences’, explains.
Additionally, James Earl Jones studied drama while at the University of Michigan. Sometime later, he reunited with his father in New York, enrolled in the American Theater Wing program, and worked alongside his father, polishing floors to earn support.
The actor was married twice in his life, first to Julienne Marie Hendricks for four years in the late 1960s, then to Cecilia Hart from 1982 until her death from ovarian cancer in October 2016, according to PEOPLE. Hart and James Earl Jones had one son, Flynn Earl Jones.
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