Jones, a longtime sufferer of diabetes, died at his home surrounded by family members
American actor James Earl Jones, an imposing stage and screen presence who overcame a childhood stutter to develop a stentorian voice recognized the world over as intergalactic villain Darth Vader, died on Monday at the age of 93.Jones had a great physical presence on stage and television, as well as in movies, but he would have been a star even if his face was never seen because his voice had a career of its own.
Jones said he never made much money off the Darth Vader part – only $9,000 for the first film – and that he considered it merely a special effects job. He did not even ask to be in the credits of the first two “Star Wars” movies. Later acclaimed movie roles included novelist Terence Mann in 1989’s “Field of Dreams” and South African Reverend Stephen Kumalo in 1995’s “Cry, the Beloved Country.” He also starred in “Conan the Barbarian,” “Coming to America,” “The Sandlot,” “Matewan,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Field of Dreams,” among others.
He was mostly silent for a decade until a ploy by his high school English teacher got him to speak up. The teacher made Jones recite to the class a poem that he said he had written to prove he was familiar enough with it to be the author. A popular theater draw for decades, his Shakespeare leading roles included Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear and Othello. He also had a notable portrayal of singer-actor-activist Paul Robeson on Broadway in 1977 and of author Alex Haley in the television mini-series “Roots: The Next Generation.”
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