James Earl Jones, EGOT Winner and Hollywood Icon, Passes Away At 93

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

We are sad to report that Hollywood icon James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93.

The revered actor died Monday morning (Sept. 9) at his home in Dutchess County, NY, his reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed to Deadline.

Jones has been known for decades as one of the greatest stage and screen actors of all time. He was also one of the very few to become an EGOT winner, receiving two Primetime Emmys, a Grammy, three Tony Awards, and an Honorary Oscar.

Born in Arkabutla, MS on January 17, 1931, Jones attended the University of Michigan as a pre-med major and served in the Army during the Korean War before pursuing an acting career.

Debuting on Broadway in 1957, he appeared in several Shakespeare productions, including Othello, Hamlet, and King Lear. He won his first Tony Award in 1968 for his role in The Great White Hope. (He would also star in the 1970 film version, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.)

Jones would earn his second Tony Award in 1987, for his leading role in August Wilson’s Fences. He would go on to appear on stage in On Golden Pond, The Best Man, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Driving Miss Daisy. Jones received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.

Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964) and received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 1974’s Claudine. However, it was his voice role as the menacing Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise that earned him international fame.

Other notable credits include Conan The Barbarian (1982), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), and both the animated and live-action versions of Disney’s The Lion King (1994 & 2019). He also starred in several TV productions, including Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and Long Ago and Far Away (1989-1992).

In addition to his EGOT accolades, Jones was the recipient of the National Medal of Arts (1992), Kennedy Center Honor (2002) and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award (2009), cementing his place as one of the greatest actors in American History.

He is survived by his only son, Flynn Earl Jones.

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