James Earl Jones'Star WarsCastmates, Collaborators and Fans Mourn Actor's Death at 93

Mar. 15, 2025

James Earl Jones on Sept. 16, 2014.Photo:Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post via Getty

Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post via Getty

Hollywood is in mourning after news ofJames Earl Jones' death at 93.

Jones, the iconic voice actor behind legendary screen characters likeStar Wars‘ Darth Vader andThe Lion King‘s Mufasa, died on Monday, Sept. 9, at his home in Dutchess County, New York, his agent confirmed to PEOPLE.

As news of Jones' death spread around the internet,several celebrities — those who worked with him and those who admired his work — shared on social media to grieve the late actor.Mark Hamill, who famously portrayed Luke Skywalker opposite Jones' voice work as Darth Vader, quickly shared a simple message viaXwith a broken heart emoji: “#RIP dad 💔,” he wrote.

Hamill, 72, then shared anInstagramphoto of himself embracing Jones and wrote in a caption, “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed. #RIP dad 💔”

James Earl Jones on Nov. 12, 2011.Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

InThe Empire Strikes Back, Vader famously revealed he was Skywalker’s father Anakin via the famous line: “I am your father.”

Rob Minkoff, the co-director ofThe Lion King,wrote: “I was blessed to get to work with him. His portrayal of Mufasa was perfection. What a powerful man and actor. Gone but will never be forgotten. Rest in power.”

“From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history. A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences,” said Disney CEOBob Iger, in a statement. Disney obtained the rights toStar Warsin 2012 after purchasing Lucasfilm.

Kevin Costner paid tribute to hisField of Dreamscostar, posting onInstagram: “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.”

Alec Baldwin, who starred opposite Jones inThe Hunt for Red October, simply wrote, “My honor to have worked with this legendary actor.”

RootsstarLeVar Burtonalso posted onX, sharing a short post as the news broke, writing, “There will never be another of his particular combination of graces.” Jones starred in the spin-off seriesRoots: The Next Generations.

“RIP to a King,” Prime Video shared onX, alongside a photo of Jones inComing 2 America. The studio released the sequel toComing to America, where Jones reprised his role of King Jaffe Joffer, in 2021.

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Colman Domingouploaded a photo of a young Jones onXand wrote, “Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best.”

James Earl Jones on June 11, 2017.John Paul Filo/CBS via Getty

John Paul Filo/CBS via Getty

Jones was famously brought in to voiceStar Warsvillain Darth Vader versus utilizing the voice of actor David Prowse, who physically embodied the character in his suit on screen, for the series' original 1977 movie. He went on to voice Vader across a number of forms of media for decades including recent releases likeRogue One: A Star Wars Story(2016),The Rise of Skywalker(2019) and the miniseriesObi-Wan Kenobi(2022).

Heretired from voicing the characterin 2022 and reportedly gave Disney permission to continue using digital recreations of his voice for Darth Vader appearances to come in the future.

source: people.com