James Earl Jones (1931-2024) was a celebrated American actor renowned for his resonant voice, which he used to great effect on stage, in film, and on television.
Jones won Tony Awards for his performances in The Great White Hope (1968–70) and Fences (1987–88). His extensive film career includes the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series and Mufasa in The Lion King (1994, 2019). In 1977, Jones also won a Grammy Award for best spoken word recording for Great American Documents. His television work includes Gabriel’s Fire (1990–91), for which he won an Emmy Award. In 2011, Jones received an honorary Academy Award, making him a noncompetitive EGOT winner.