His agent confirmed that he passed away yesterday morning (9 September) at his New York home, and tributes have been pouring in from all over the place including a particularly touching one from Mark Hamill.
The legendary performer's final screen credit was for providing the voice of Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, though he had taken steps to ensure that if they want to use his voice for Vader then they can.
He officially retired from the role in September 2022 following the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi, though according to Vanity Fair the Vader voice you hear in that show is the work of Ukrainian company Respeecher.
James Earl Jones acted as a 'benevolent godfather' to guide the recreation of his sonorous speaking voice, but in his final credit for the Star Wars saga his voice was recreated with the help of technology.
James Earl Jones has sadly died aged 93 (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)Should Star Wars ever feel compelled to bring back Darth Vader at some point, and you expect that they likely will do, they will be able to use his voice again and again.
That's because Jones signed off on his voice being recreated through AI for Darth Vader's performances, meaning audiences may continue to hear it throughout the years.
Essentially, should Star Wars wish to use James Earl Jones' voice again for Darth Vader then they can.
It's certainly not the first time Star Wars has used technology to recreate the likeness of a late performer.
In the 2016 movie Rogue One the part of Tarkin was played by Guy Henry, but his face was digitally altered to look like the late Peter Cushing, while in the same film Carrie Fisher's younger likeness was superimposed over the face of Ingvild Deila to play Princess Leia.
If Star Wars wishes to trot Darth Vader out again they're allowed to use AI to recreate James Earl Jones' voice (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Back in the days of the original Star Wars trilogy the man in the suit was David Prowse, who older Brits might also remember as the Green Cross Man.
His voice wasn't quite right for the imposing Sith Lord, so James Earl Jones provided the iconic voice of Darth Vader and was sometimes working off a different script to Prowse.
During filming for The Empire Strikes Back to keep the revelation that Darth Vader was Luke's father a secret only a handful of people knew the truth and a different line was said on set, with the big 'I am your father' reveal being dubbed in later.
Prowse didn't actually know what the true line was until he got to see the movie after it was completed.
When Vader's mask comes off so that Vader can look upon his son with his own eyes it was actor Sebastian Shaw who played that role.
Since then there have been others who have inhabited the suit on screen and provided the voice in various things like video games, but the voice in the movies has always been James Earl Jones.Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm/Jim Spellman/WireImage
Updated 09:44 10 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 07:30 10 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Mark Hamill posts perfect two-word tribute to James Earl Jones as Star Wars co-star dies aged 93
He kept it short and sweet for the legendary James Earl Jones
The sad passing of the legendary James Earl Jones has resulted in tributes pouring in from all over the world of showbiz.
The 93-year-old's agent confirmed that he died yesterday morning (9 September) at his home in New York.
Back in the days of the original Star Wars trilogy the man in the suit was David Prowse, who older Brits might also remember as the Green Cross Man.
His voice wasn't quite right for the imposing Sith Lord, so James Earl Jones provided the iconic voice of Darth Vader and was sometimes working off a different script to Prowse.
During filming for The Empire Strikes Back to keep the revelation that Darth Vader was Luke's father a secret only a handful of people knew the truth and a different line was said on set, with the big 'I am your father' reveal being dubbed in later.
Prowse didn't actually know what the true line was until he got to see the movie after it was completed.
When Vader's mask comes off so that Vader can look upon his son with his own eyes it was actor Sebastian Shaw who played that role.
Since then there have been others who have inhabited the suit on screen and provided the voice in various things like video games, but the voice in the movies has always been James Earl Jones.Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm/Jim Spellman/WireImage
Updated 09:44 10 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 07:30 10 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Mark Hamill posts perfect two-word tribute to James Earl Jones as Star Wars co-star dies aged 93
He kept it short and sweet for the legendary James Earl Jones
The sad passing of the legendary James Earl Jones has resulted in tributes pouring in from all over the world of showbiz.
The 93-year-old's agent confirmed that he died yesterday morning (9 September) at his home in New York.
The beloved actor passed away at age 93. (Sylvain Gaboury via Getty Images)
He was one of the few performers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony throughout an illustrious career and is perhaps best known as being the voices of Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
It was James Earl Jones who delivered the iconic line, 'I am your father' to Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, and Hamill posted the perfect two-word tribute on social media in the wake of the sad news of the 93-year-old's death.
Hamill simply wrote 'RIP dad' followed by the broken heart emoji as he quoted the announcement of the death.
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader, died Monday. He was 93. bit.ly/3TkCdw4
Throughout his time on social media Hamill has often referred to James Earl Jones as 'dad', including in a number of birthday wishes.
It's an honour he gave to the various performers who have also played a part in portraying Darth Vader over the years, including his physical actor David Prowse, his unmasked performer Sebastian Shaw, stunt double Bob Anderson, and, of course, his younger iterations Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen.
For a lot of fans, this is the tribute that has been the most heart-wrenching of all, as one much beloved icon of our childhoods paid tribute to another.
It's a sad reminder that none of us are getting any younger, and that as time passes the lights that illuminated our days gone by are starting to go out.
While he was known as the voice of Darth Vader, many will have seen James Earl Jones in front of the camera in the likes of Field of Dreams, Coming to America and Conan the Barbarian.
He was one of the few performers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony throughout an illustrious career and is perhaps best known as being the voices of Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
It was James Earl Jones who delivered the iconic line, 'I am your father' to Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, and Hamill posted the perfect two-word tribute on social media in the wake of the sad news of the 93-year-old's death.
Hamill simply wrote 'RIP dad' followed by the broken heart emoji as he quoted the announcement of the death.
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader, died Monday. He was 93. bit.ly/3TkCdw4
Throughout his time on social media Hamill has often referred to James Earl Jones as 'dad', including in a number of birthday wishes.
It's an honour he gave to the various performers who have also played a part in portraying Darth Vader over the years, including his physical actor David Prowse, his unmasked performer Sebastian Shaw, stunt double Bob Anderson, and, of course, his younger iterations Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen.
For a lot of fans, this is the tribute that has been the most heart-wrenching of all, as one much beloved icon of our childhoods paid tribute to another.
It's a sad reminder that none of us are getting any younger, and that as time passes the lights that illuminated our days gone by are starting to go out.
While he was known as the voice of Darth Vader, many will have seen James Earl Jones in front of the camera in the likes of Field of Dreams, Coming to America and Conan the Barbarian.
It's by no means the first time Hamill has called James Earl Jones 'dad'. (Twitter/@MarkHamill)
In later years, viewers of The Big Bang Theory got to see him make a guest appearance as himself, putting his sonorous voice to good use by declaring he liked Star Wars and playing a prank on co-star Carrie Fisher, who had played Princess Leia.
Hamill has also appeared in the show, where he appeared to officiate a wedding between two of the main characters.
As news of James Earl Jones' was announced last night there will be many more waking up to the sad news of his passing, and one can expect many more tributes to come in to a man who put his talents to such good use.Featured Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/EveryStory2024/WireImage/LucasFilm
Original Star Wars scene before Darth Vader's voice was dubbed is really weird to hear
Darth Vader sounded pretty silly before James Earl Jones did his voice
When Star Wars hit cinemas in 1977 it blew people's minds with what cinema could accomplish, and few characters could match the menacing presence of Darth Vader.
By now you probably know that it was two people who brought Vader to life, with Dave Prowse being the physical actor for the terrifying Sith Lord while James Earl Jones gave Vader his voice.
That deep, authoritative voice helped give Vader some gravitas as he bossed everybody about and was generally a very menacing and evil guy.
However, Earl Jones only added in his vocal performance in post-production, when they were actually acting out the scenes on set the lines were delivered by Prowse.
His strong West Country accent doesn't really sound like the right voice for a Dark Lord of the Sith though, and if you listen to it you'll understand why.
THIERRY ZOCCOLAN/AFP via Getty Images
All in all it's probably better for everyone involved that Vader got a new voice, though every legend has to retire at some point.
If we are to see Darth Vader again it'll be with the voice of James Earl Jones, but produced by an artificial intelligence with his consent.
Earl Jones has allowed Disney to use old recordings of his vocal work as Vader and let an AI recreate the iconic voice from here on out.
When he most recently gave his voice to Vader, in last year's TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was credited as providing the vocal work but what he heard was actually generated by an AI.
The actor provided guidance on how to do it properly, because of course who else could better suggest how Vader would speak than James Earl Jones?
Jim Spellman/WireImage
Prowse and Earl Jones weren't the only actors to portray Vader on the big screen either, as at the end of Return of the Jedi when his helmet is removed and he can speak to Luke he's played by Sebastian Shaw.
How much Vader will feature in Star Wars projects going forward is anyone's guess, he's one of the franchise's most iconic characters but we've seen plenty of his story and there might not be all that many opportunities to see him again.
Hayden Christensen has floated the idea of a Vader series on Disney+ and he thinks there's 'more to explore' so there might still be some mileage in the iconic baddie yet.
Vader's appearance was briefly shown in recent Star Wars series Ahsoka, though for the most part Christensen stayed out of the costume and kept his Anakin look going.Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm
Updated 22:30 9 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 22:05 9 Sep 2024 GMT+1
breaking
Star Wars and The Lion King actor James Earl Jones dies at the age of 93
The great actor died aged 93
James Earl Jones, the voice behind Darth Vader and Mufasa, has died aged 93.
The legendary actor was confirmed to have passed away by his reps, who confirmed the news to Deadline.
Jones died this morning at his home in New York.
As well as the legendary voice featured in Star Wars and The Lion King, Jones starred in Field of Dreams, Coming to America, and Conan the Barbarian.
A distinguished actor for both film and the stage, he is one of the few to have ever achieved EGOT status.
In later years, viewers of The Big Bang Theory got to see him make a guest appearance as himself, putting his sonorous voice to good use by declaring he liked Star Wars and playing a prank on co-star Carrie Fisher, who had played Princess Leia.
Hamill has also appeared in the show, where he appeared to officiate a wedding between two of the main characters.
As news of James Earl Jones' was announced last night there will be many more waking up to the sad news of his passing, and one can expect many more tributes to come in to a man who put his talents to such good use.Featured Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/EveryStory2024/WireImage/LucasFilm
Original Star Wars scene before Darth Vader's voice was dubbed is really weird to hear
Darth Vader sounded pretty silly before James Earl Jones did his voice
When Star Wars hit cinemas in 1977 it blew people's minds with what cinema could accomplish, and few characters could match the menacing presence of Darth Vader.
By now you probably know that it was two people who brought Vader to life, with Dave Prowse being the physical actor for the terrifying Sith Lord while James Earl Jones gave Vader his voice.
That deep, authoritative voice helped give Vader some gravitas as he bossed everybody about and was generally a very menacing and evil guy.
However, Earl Jones only added in his vocal performance in post-production, when they were actually acting out the scenes on set the lines were delivered by Prowse.
His strong West Country accent doesn't really sound like the right voice for a Dark Lord of the Sith though, and if you listen to it you'll understand why.
THIERRY ZOCCOLAN/AFP via Getty ImagesAll in all it's probably better for everyone involved that Vader got a new voice, though every legend has to retire at some point.
If we are to see Darth Vader again it'll be with the voice of James Earl Jones, but produced by an artificial intelligence with his consent.
Earl Jones has allowed Disney to use old recordings of his vocal work as Vader and let an AI recreate the iconic voice from here on out.
When he most recently gave his voice to Vader, in last year's TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was credited as providing the vocal work but what he heard was actually generated by an AI.
The actor provided guidance on how to do it properly, because of course who else could better suggest how Vader would speak than James Earl Jones?
Jim Spellman/WireImageProwse and Earl Jones weren't the only actors to portray Vader on the big screen either, as at the end of Return of the Jedi when his helmet is removed and he can speak to Luke he's played by Sebastian Shaw.
How much Vader will feature in Star Wars projects going forward is anyone's guess, he's one of the franchise's most iconic characters but we've seen plenty of his story and there might not be all that many opportunities to see him again.
Hayden Christensen has floated the idea of a Vader series on Disney+ and he thinks there's 'more to explore' so there might still be some mileage in the iconic baddie yet.
Vader's appearance was briefly shown in recent Star Wars series Ahsoka, though for the most part Christensen stayed out of the costume and kept his Anakin look going.Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm
Updated 22:30 9 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 22:05 9 Sep 2024 GMT+1
breaking
Star Wars and The Lion King actor James Earl Jones dies at the age of 93
The great actor died aged 93
James Earl Jones, the voice behind Darth Vader and Mufasa, has died aged 93.
The legendary actor was confirmed to have passed away by his reps, who confirmed the news to Deadline.
Jones died this morning at his home in New York.
As well as the legendary voice featured in Star Wars and The Lion King, Jones starred in Field of Dreams, Coming to America, and Conan the Barbarian.
A distinguished actor for both film and the stage, he is one of the few to have ever achieved EGOT status.
(Sylvain Gaboury via Getty Images)
This involves winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, all of which he achieved in his illustrious career.
Despite all this, Jones remained best known for having voiced main characters in two of the most popular films of all time.
The voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa alike, the late 93-year-old's voice was evocative and emotional regardless of the role he played.
Tributes have already begun to flood in from both fans and fellow actors.
One tribute video, posted by DiscussingFilm, has seen numerous fans paying tribute to the late great actor.
The voice behind cinema’s greatest villain. Rest In Peace James Earl Jones (1931 - 2024)
One fan replied saying: "His voice will live on for generations and bring so many people so much happiness. RIP."
Another replied to say: "Rest in Power to the GOAT James Earl Jones.
"Thank you for all of your iconic roles from Darth Vader to Mufasa. His voice will never be forgotten and remain as one of the most memorable voices in the history of cinema."
One viral tweet posted by @jbromovies, accompanied by a video of his performance in The Lion King said:
"Rest in peace, James Earl Jones. One of the most powerful, evocative, emotional voices in cinema history. This is the first scene that came to mind, it’s one of my favorites of all time."
Rest in peace, James Earl Jones. One of the most powerful, evocative, emotional voices in cinema history. This is the first scene that came to mind, it’s one of my favorites of all time.
Levar Burton posted on Twitter to say: "James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces."
Mark Hamill, who played Jones' son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars quoted a tweet with the news saying: "RIP Dad", with a broken heart emoji.
Popular Star Wars YouTuber MaceAhhWindu posted on Twitter to say: 'Well that ruined my entire day.
"Rest in peace to the legend, and thank you for blessing us with your beautiful voice and spirit, Mr. James Earl Jones."
Jones was born in Mississippi in 1931, and is survived by his only son, Flynn Earl Jones.Featured Image Credit: Jemal Countess via Getty Images / Sylvain Gaboury via Getty Images
Published 20:28 11 Mar 2024 GMT
The Gentlemen's Theo James had a morbid job in the NHS before he made it in acting
It's not what you'd imagine...
This involves winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, all of which he achieved in his illustrious career.
Despite all this, Jones remained best known for having voiced main characters in two of the most popular films of all time.
The voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa alike, the late 93-year-old's voice was evocative and emotional regardless of the role he played.
Tributes have already begun to flood in from both fans and fellow actors.
One tribute video, posted by DiscussingFilm, has seen numerous fans paying tribute to the late great actor.
The voice behind cinema’s greatest villain. Rest In Peace James Earl Jones (1931 - 2024)
One fan replied saying: "His voice will live on for generations and bring so many people so much happiness. RIP."
Another replied to say: "Rest in Power to the GOAT James Earl Jones.
"Thank you for all of your iconic roles from Darth Vader to Mufasa. His voice will never be forgotten and remain as one of the most memorable voices in the history of cinema."
One viral tweet posted by @jbromovies, accompanied by a video of his performance in The Lion King said:
"Rest in peace, James Earl Jones. One of the most powerful, evocative, emotional voices in cinema history. This is the first scene that came to mind, it’s one of my favorites of all time."
Rest in peace, James Earl Jones. One of the most powerful, evocative, emotional voices in cinema history. This is the first scene that came to mind, it’s one of my favorites of all time.
Levar Burton posted on Twitter to say: "James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces."
Mark Hamill, who played Jones' son Luke Skywalker in Star Wars quoted a tweet with the news saying: "RIP Dad", with a broken heart emoji.
Popular Star Wars YouTuber MaceAhhWindu posted on Twitter to say: 'Well that ruined my entire day.
"Rest in peace to the legend, and thank you for blessing us with your beautiful voice and spirit, Mr. James Earl Jones."
Jones was born in Mississippi in 1931, and is survived by his only son, Flynn Earl Jones.Featured Image Credit: Jemal Countess via Getty Images / Sylvain Gaboury via Getty Images
Published 20:28 11 Mar 2024 GMT
The Gentlemen's Theo James had a morbid job in the NHS before he made it in acting
It's not what you'd imagine...
Theo James has opened up about his old job in the NHS, and it's not what you'd expect.
The British star is clearly the man of the moment after taking on the lead role in Guy Richie's new The Gentlemen series on Netflix.
Aside from being a gifted actor, his distinctive deep voice and dedication to the craft is what's got him in the conversation to play the next James Bond - despite thinking that he looks 'too greek' to pull it off.
The 39-year-old takes centre stage as he plays the Duke of Halstead, Eddie Horniman, in a sort of spin-off from 2019 film The Gentlemen, which starred the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant.
The new eight-part show, however, has a completely different plot to the film, along with a new-look cast.
"It's a very different story, completely different story," James told LADbible.
"You know, it's about a soldier that comes back to his family seat and his father's died.
"And he unwittingly inherits the entire estate over his older brother.
Jeff Spicer/WireImage
"So it's a different story. It's in the world, but it's more in a fun, bombastic Guy Ritchie way, there's a bit of a deconstruction of British classism, the hyper wealthy, the fading power of the aristocracy. So in terms of that, no, it's not the same in any way.
"I enjoyed the movie, but no, there was no pressure in that way."
As well as playing a small role in The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011, the Wycombe-born actor got his big break in 2014's Divergent film series, where he returned for two more films in 2015 and 2016.
And he's not looked back since, with roles in 2018 How It Ends, as well as executive producing and starring in Backstabbing for Beginners in the same year.
Netflix
James, who was raised in Askett, is the son of a business consultant father and a mother who worked for the NHS.
The now-famous actor has since opened up about his bizarre part time job at the NHS, where he would collect and clean up dead people's furniture.
"My mum set me up [with] one of many jobs, you know, that you had early in your career, and I had to go and collect furniture and then clean it down," he explained.
"Yeah, it was actually pretty tricky, because what you had to do is inevitably after, this is pretty dark, but after someone passes away, they have a bunch of stuff that needs to be used for someone else in the NHS system.
"So you had to go into these homes with these grieving people and I’ll be like 'Can I have that bed back?’"
Pexels
Alongside James in The Gentlemen is Ray Winstone, starring as drug kingpin Bobby Glass, who runs his industrial cannabis empire from prison.
Kaya Scodelario also stars as Susie Glass, Bobby’s fashionable and ruthless daughter, handling the drug operation while her dad is locked up.
Vinnie Jones stars as the estate's groundskeeper Geoff Seacombe, while Giancarlo Esposito plays one of the richest men in the world, with a big secret.
Despite the star-studded cast, it seems that some fans will be watching it for one reason only, and that reason is Theo James.
"So it's a different story. It's in the world, but it's more in a fun, bombastic Guy Ritchie way, there's a bit of a deconstruction of British classism, the hyper wealthy, the fading power of the aristocracy. So in terms of that, no, it's not the same in any way.
"I enjoyed the movie, but no, there was no pressure in that way."
As well as playing a small role in The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011, the Wycombe-born actor got his big break in 2014's Divergent film series, where he returned for two more films in 2015 and 2016.
And he's not looked back since, with roles in 2018 How It Ends, as well as executive producing and starring in Backstabbing for Beginners in the same year.
NetflixJames, who was raised in Askett, is the son of a business consultant father and a mother who worked for the NHS.
The now-famous actor has since opened up about his bizarre part time job at the NHS, where he would collect and clean up dead people's furniture.
"My mum set me up [with] one of many jobs, you know, that you had early in your career, and I had to go and collect furniture and then clean it down," he explained.
"Yeah, it was actually pretty tricky, because what you had to do is inevitably after, this is pretty dark, but after someone passes away, they have a bunch of stuff that needs to be used for someone else in the NHS system.
"So you had to go into these homes with these grieving people and I’ll be like 'Can I have that bed back?’"
PexelsAlongside James in The Gentlemen is Ray Winstone, starring as drug kingpin Bobby Glass, who runs his industrial cannabis empire from prison.
Kaya Scodelario also stars as Susie Glass, Bobby’s fashionable and ruthless daughter, handling the drug operation while her dad is locked up.
Vinnie Jones stars as the estate's groundskeeper Geoff Seacombe, while Giancarlo Esposito plays one of the richest men in the world, with a big secret.
Despite the star-studded cast, it seems that some fans will be watching it for one reason only, and that reason is Theo James.
