James Earl Jones dead at 93
Award-winning actor James Earl Jones died Monday, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 93.
Jones was known for his voice role as Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" franchise, in addition to "Coming to America," "Field of Dreams" and "The Hunt for Red October."
The star of stage and screen "passed away this morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by family," his representative shared in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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Jones is one of the few entertainers to have earned the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) during his career. He received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award and three Tony Awards.
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While Jones did not win a competitive Oscar, he was presented with the Honorary Academy Award by Sir Ben Kingsley. Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Jones in "Field of Dreams," remembered the actor in a tribute shared on social media Monday afternoon.
"Just hearing the news of James Earl Jones’s passing," he wrote. "That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.
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"If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa. I’m grateful to have been a witness to him making that magic happen. Rest in peace, friend."
His career began in the theater in the early ‘50s, earning the status as one of the best Shakespearean actors with roles like "Othello" and "King Lear," in addition to Oberon in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and Claudius in "Hamlet."
He received four competitive Tony Award nominations for best actor, winning twice for his performances as Jack Johnson in "The Great White Hope" in 1969 and as Troy Maxson in August Wilson's "Fences" in 1987. In 2017, he received a special Tony Award at the 71st Tony Awards.
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Jones' film debut began with Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" in 1964.
His arguably most prolific role came in the form of voicing Darth Vader in George Lucas' 1977 space epic "Star Wars." He reprised his role for the sequels "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980 and again in "Return of the Jedi" in 1983.
Jones starred in a slew of successful films, too, including "Conan the Barbarian," "Coming to America," "The Sandlot," "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger."
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He was nominated for an Oscar for outstanding lead actor for his role in "The Great White Hope" and was given an honorary Oscar at the 2012 ceremony. In addition, Jones was a two-time Emmy winner and eight-time Emmy nominee.
Jones won both of his Emmy Awards in 1991 for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his role in "Gabriel's Fire" and for outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or a special for his role in "Heat Wave."
He was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2002 and received lifetime achievement awards from the Screen Actors Guild in 2009 and the National Board of Review in 1995.