American actor James Earl Jones, known for dubbing the voices of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has died at the age of 93.
In the world of American cinema and dubbing, he was a legend. Actor James Earl Jones died at the age of 93, his agents announced on Monday evening, September 9. The actor was best known internationally for having lent his instantly recognizable voice to mythical characters, such as Darth Vader, mainly in the original trilogy. Star Wars (which he did not play on a physical level, since it is David Prowse who is under the mask) or Mufasa in The Lion King.
But James Earl Jones’ career was obviously not limited to these two legendary voices, since he also had a long and prolific career on the small and big screen, but also on the stage. Born in 1931 in Mississippi, nothing predestined him to dubbing since he suffered from a stutter, which ended up being controlled in his childhood.
After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he made his acting debut in the late 1950s on Broadway in the English adaptation of the play by Jean Genet The Blacks that the actor distinguished himself in the early 1960s. Nine years later, he was awarded a Tony Award for his role in the play The insurgentHe would also be nominated for an Oscar and win a Golden Globe for the film adaptation of the play.
In cinema, his first role was alongside Stanley Kubricksince he plays the role of a lieutenant in Dr. Strangelove. He was also seen in In pursuit of red October, Stone Gardens or even Immediate danger. He was also seen as King Jaffe Joffer in A prince to new York or in Conan the Barbarian where he plays the villain Thulsa Down. In 2012 he received an honorary Oscar for his entire career.