The film industry just lost a titan – the legendary James Earl Jones, who passed away at the age of 93. And among his many iconic performances – in The Lion King, Conan The Barbarian, Coming To America, Field Of Dreams to name but a few – he will always hold the position of voicing Star Wars’ greatest villain: the inimitable Darth Vader. Across the original trilogy, plus Revenge Of The Sith, Rogue One, The Rise Of Skywalker and more, Jones lent his unmistakable boom to one of the all-time-great big screen baddies. And in the wake of his passing, the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, has released a statement in tribute to the man who elevated Vader with his perfectly pitched performances.
As published on StarWars.com, Lucas said: “James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit. For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us...friends and fans alike.”
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also paid tribute to Jones in a statement. “James Earl Jones is one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time, with an iconic body of work across film, stage and television,” she said. “The menacing baritone he brought to Darth Vader will forever be beloved by fans and regarded as one of the great villainous performances in cinema. His commanding presence on screen, and warm personality off screen, will be greatly missed.”
Posting to Instagram, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill also shared a brief tribute to Jones – calling him “one of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable.” He added: “He’ll be greatly missed. #RIP dad 💔”
Jones’ loss is a huge one – but his legacy will reverberate through the galaxy far, far away (and ours too) for many years to come.