Iconic Hollywood actor and renowned voice of Mufasa and Darth Vader, has passed away on Monday September 9, at the age of 93, his agent confirmed.
Jones died early Monday morning, surrounded by his family, according to his agent, Barry McPherson.
With a career spanning decade, Jones appeared in numerous films including Field of Dreams, Coming to America, and Conan the Barbarian. However, he was most famous for lending his deep, gravelly voice to Star Wars’ villain Darth Vader.
Mark Hamill, who portrayed Darth Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, shared his condolences on social media, posting, “RIP Dad,” accompanied by a broken heart emoji, as he shared the news of Jones’ death.
In addition to voicing Darth Vader, Jones was the beloved voice of Mufasa in Disney’s 1994 animated classic The Lion King. He also became famous for his role as the voice behind CNN’s iconic tagline, “This is CNN.”
Throughout his illustrious career, Jones garnered numerous accolades, including Emmys, Tony Awards, a Grammy, and an honorary Oscar.
Jones originally voiced Darth Vader in the 1977 Star Wars film, later reprising the role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He continued to voice Vader in the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One and the sequel trilogy’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, both released in the late 2010s.
Although Jones provided an unforgettable voice, the physical movements of Darth Vader were performed by different actors, including the late David Prowse.
“I love being part of that whole myth, of that whole cult,” Jones once remarked, expressing his joy in fulfilling fan requests to recite the famous line, “I am your father.”
Despite the character’s global fame, Jones admitted he earned only $9,000 for his role in the original Star Wars and viewed it primarily as a special effects job. He also chose not to be credited in the first two Star Wars films.