who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen 害羞草研究所� eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, 害羞草研究所淭he Lion King害羞草研究所� and Darth Vader 害羞草研究所� has died. He was 93.

His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning at home in New York害羞草研究所檚 Hudson Valley region. The cause was not immediately clear.

who in 1965 became one of the first African American actors in a continuing role on a daytime drama (害羞草研究所淎s the World Turns害羞草研究所�) and worked deep into his 80s, won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was also given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a in his honor.

He cut an elegant figure late in life, with a wry sense of humor and a ferocious work habit. In 2015, he arrived at rehearsals for having already memorized the play and with notebooks filled with comments from the creative team. He said he was always in service of the work.

害羞草研究所淭he need to storytell has always been with us,害羞草研究所� he told The Associated Press then. 害羞草研究所淚 think it first happened around campfires when the man came home and told his family he got the bear, the bear didn害羞草研究所檛 get him.害羞草研究所�

Jones created such memorable film roles as the reclusive writer coaxed back into the spotlight in 害羞草研究所淔ield of Dreams,害羞草研究所� the boxer Jack Johnson in the stage and screen hit 害羞草研究所淭he Great White Hope,害羞草研究所� the in 害羞草研究所淩oots: The Next Generation害羞草研究所� and a South African minister in 害羞草研究所淐ry, the Beloved Country.害羞草研究所�

He was also a expressing the villainy of Darth Vader (害羞草研究所淣o, I am your father,害羞草研究所� commonly misremembered as 害羞草研究所淟uke, I am your father害羞草研究所�), as well as the benign dignity of King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of and announcing 害羞草研究所淭his is CNN害羞草研究所� during station breaks. He won a 1977 Grammy for his performance on the 害羞草研究所淕reat American Documents害羞草研究所� audiobook.

害羞草研究所淚f you were an actor or aspired to be an actor, if you pounded the pavement in these streets looking for jobs, one of the standards we always had was to be a James Earl Jones,害羞草研究所� once said.

Some of his other films include 害羞草研究所淒r. Strangelove,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Greatest害羞草研究所� (with , 害羞草研究所淐onan the Barbarian,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭hree Fugitives害羞草研究所� and playing an admiral in three blockbuster adaptations 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Hunt for Red October,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淧atriot Games害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淐lear and Present Danger.害羞草研究所� In a rare romantic comedy, 害羞草研究所淐laudine,害羞草研究所� Jones had an onscreen love affair with

LeVar Burton, who starred alongside Jones in the TV movie 害羞草研究所淕uyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones,害羞草研究所� paid tribute on X, writing, 害羞草研究所淭here will never be another of his particular combination of graces.害羞草研究所�

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪unrise At Campobello害羞草研究所� and would win his two Tony Awards for 害羞草研究所淭he Great White Hope害羞草研究所� (1969) and 害羞草研究所淔ences害羞草研究所� (1987). He also was nominated for 害羞草研究所淥n Golden Pond害羞草研究所� (2005) and 害羞草研究所淕ore Vidal害羞草研究所檚 The Best Man害羞草研究所� (2012). He was celebrated for his command of Shakespeare and alike. More recent Broadway appearances include 害羞草研究所淐at on a Hot Tin Roof,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淒riving Miss Daisy,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Iceman Cometh,害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淵ou Can害羞草研究所檛 Take It With You.害羞草研究所�

As a rising stage and television actor, he performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival Theater in 害羞草研究所淥thello,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢acbeth害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淜ing Lear害羞草研究所� and in off-Broadway plays.

Jones was born by the light of an oil lamp in a shack in Arkabutla, Mississippi, on Jan. 17, 1931. His father, Robert Earl Jones, had deserted his wife before the baby害羞草研究所檚 arrival to pursue life as a boxer and, later, an actor.

When Jones was 6, his mother took him to her parents害羞草研究所� farm near Manistee, Michigan. His grandparents adopted the boy and raised him.

害羞草研究所淎 world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,害羞草研究所� Jones wrote in his autobiography, 害羞草研究所淰oices and Silences.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he move from Mississippi to Michigan was supposed to be a glorious event. For me it was a heartbreak, and not long after, I began to stutter.害羞草研究所�

Too embarrassed to speak, he remained virtually mute for years, communicating with teachers and fellow students with handwritten notes. A sympathetic high school teacher, Donald Crouch, learned that the boy wrote poetry, and demanded that Jones read one of his poems aloud in class. He did so faultlessly.

Teacher and student worked together to restore the boy害羞草研究所檚 normal speech. 害羞草研究所淚 could not get enough of speaking, debating, orating 害羞草研究所� acting,害羞草研究所� he recalled in his book.

At the University of Michigan, he failed a pre-med exam and switched to drama, also playing four seasons of basketball. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1955.

In New York, he moved in with his father and enrolled with the American Theater Wing program for young actors. Father and son waxed floors to support themselves while looking for acting jobs.

True stardom came suddenly in 1970 with 害羞草研究所淭he Great White Hope.害羞草研究所� Howard Sackler害羞草研究所檚 Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play depicted the struggles of Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, amid the racism of early 20th-century America. In 1972, Jones repeated his role in the movie version and was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor.

Jones害羞草研究所� two wives were also actors. He married Julienne Marie Hendricks in 1967. After their divorce, he married Cecilia Hart, best known for her role as Stacey Erickson in the CBS police drama 害羞草研究所淧aris,害羞草研究所� in 1982. (She died in 2016.) They had a son, Flynn Earl, born in 1983.

In 2022, the Cort Theatre on Broadway with a ceremony that included singing 害羞草研究所淕o the Distance,害羞草研究所� singing 害羞草研究所淢ake Them Hear You害羞草研究所� and words from Samuel L. Jackson and

害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 think of an artist that has served America more,害羞草研究所� told the AP. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like it seems like a small act, but it害羞草研究所檚 a huge action. It害羞草研究所檚 something we can look up and see that害羞草研究所檚 tangible.害羞草研究所�

Citing his stutter as one of the reasons he wasn害羞草研究所檛 a political activist, Jones nonetheless hoped his art could change minds.

害羞草研究所淚 realized early on, from people like Athol Fugard, that you cannot change anybody害羞草研究所檚 mind, no matter what you do,害羞草研究所� he told the AP. 害羞草研究所淎s a preacher, as a scholar, you cannot change their mind. But you can change the way they feel.害羞草研究所�