Hollywood and around the world pay tribute to late legendary actor James Earl Jones
Times of discover News: James Earl Jones, an iconic and almost universally admired screen and voice actor for six decades, died at his home in New York on Monday, September 9, at the age of 93.
Few people in the entertainment industry have resonated with diverse audiences across multiple generations and all demographics like Jones. He is perhaps best known for his role as the voice of Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" franchise [six films in total] and the voice of Mufasa in "The Lion King." The prevailing consensus about his work is that the partnership is irreplaceable, given how deep, powerful and captivating Jones' voice is.
"There hasn't been a lot of depth written about what it means to be Black and what it means to be a Black character," Jones said.
Some of Jones' most notable screen credits include "Coming to America," "Claudine," and "Field of Dreams." Jones reportedly considered his role in Star Wars a "special effect" and wasn't recognized for his work on the massive franchise until the third film, 1983's "The Return of the Jedi." Life is full of complexity. Jones was born in 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in the deep south, but grew up in the state of Michigan, on the Canadian border. He had one of the most proud voices, but he had to overcome his stupidity at an early age. While serving in the military, he could be expressive and dynamic on stage and Broadway. And most famously, he was loved around the world for portraying a rogueish and almost saintly image in the roles of Darkseid Vader and Mufasa. "Silence is not bad. Listening is good. And I learned to listen," Jones said. "I was dumb from first grade to my first year of high school," Jones said. "Shut up because I'm not talking anymore. It's just another example: You find yourself with a weak muscle and you exercise it, and sometimes it becomes your strongest muscle." Arguably his best dramatic performance was as boxer Jack Johnson in 1967's The Great White Hope, for which he won a Tony Award. For the film adaptation, he received an Oscar nomination for best actor, and he became the second black actor to be nominated for the award. Jones became an unstoppable household name after the success of Star Wars. Now she's working with other celebrities who defined the decade, such as opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as Thulsa Doom in "Conan the Barbarian" and as Eddie Murphy's father in "Coming to America." Jones honed his love of the stage and won his second Tony Award in 1987 for his work as garbage collector Troy Maxson, and another Tony Award in 2010 as chauffeur Hoke Colburn in the touring revival of Driving Miss Daisy. "When I read great literature, great plays, speeches or sermons, I think there is no greater accomplishment the human mind has achieved than the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings through words," Jones said. Jones concluded his career of 200 credits with prestigious EGOT titles [Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony] Played a key role in a famous film franchise worth $46.7 billion Won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Academy Awards Won three Tony Awards, including a Lifetime Honor and two Emmys Following his death, many Hollywood icons and legends shared their condolences and anecdotes about Jones, including Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, Alec Baldwin, Danny DeVito, Ava DuVernay, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Foxx, Devin Joy Randolph, Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Uzo Aduba, LeVar Burton, William Shatner, Disney CEO Bob Iger and George Lucas Actress Octavia Spencer said, "The word great is not enough to describe his iconic roles and his impact on cinema." Mark Hamill added: "An incredible actor, the most unique voice of art and emotion." "That voice is loud." Kevin Costner said. "That quiet strength. That kindness he displayed. There's so much that could be said about his legacy, so I'll just say how grateful I am that he joined Field of Dreams."