‘Star Wars’ Family & More Remember To James Earl Jones, Voice Of Darth Vader

The notable voice actor was best known to fans for voicing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

Born on January 17, 1931, Jones was a prominent fixture of the screen and stage. His first big movie role was in 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” His final on-screen role was in 2021’s “Coming 2 America.”

Since his passing, his “Star Wars” costars have been taking to social media to pay tribute to the legendary actor and his achievements.

Actor Mark Hamill, who originated the role of Luke Skywalker, shared an early photo of his younger self posing with James Earl Jones on Instagram. “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable,” he wrote in the caption. “He’ll get greatly missed. #RIP dad.”

Hamill was also one of the first to pay tribute to his on-screen father on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, simply writing, “#RIP dad” next to a broken heart emoji.

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas first considered Orson Welles for the voice of Orson Welles in the original 1977 movie but felt that his voice might be too recognizable to fans. Instead, he called James Earl Jones’ agent and asked him if he would like to come in and work for a day.

Despite going on to become one of the most recognizable fictional characters of all time, Jones was only paid a flat fee of $7,000 for his role in the first film and did not receive an acknowledgment that he was the voice of Darth Vader until the third film in the franchise, “Return of the Jedi,” was released in 1983.

“James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit,” Lucas said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

British actor Peter Mayhew passed away in 2019 at the age of 74 after playing the role of Chewbacca from 1977’s “A New Hope” through 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” which kickstarted the sequel trilogy. Although Mayhew and his wife, Angie, have both passed away, his family continues to run The Peter Mayhew Foundation and vocally support Lucasfilm in upcoming projects.

On September 9, they took to X to pay their respects to Jones as well. “Deeply saddened to hear that James Earl Jones has passed away. Our most heart felt sympathy to his family,” they wrote beside a photo of the late actor. “Rest in Peace.”

In a statement published on the Disney website, Bob Iger praised Jones for providing the “gentle wisdom of Mufasa” and “the menacing threat of Darth Vader” as he “gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.”

“A celebrated stage actor with more than 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,” Iger wrote. “On behalf of all of us at Disney, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

“The Lion King” co-director Rob Minkoff took to Instagram to state that “his portrayal of Mufasa was perfection. What a powerful man and actor. Gone but will never be forgotten. Rest in power.”

Minkoff’s wife, Crystal, created her own Instagram post to say that Jones “made a young animator’s dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa. Thank you for all you have done for Rob. Your memory will live on.”

Considering the success of “Yellowstone” and the headlines surrounding his new project, “Horizon,” fans might have forgotten that Kevin Costner once appeared in “Field of Dreams” alongside the late Jones.

“Just hearing the news of James Earl Jones’s passing. 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,” he wrote in the caption beside a screenshot of the two working together.

“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 cornfield in Iowa. I’m grateful to have been a witness to him making that magic happen,” he concluded. “Rest in peace, friend.”

Actress Octavia Spencer also took to Instagram to share her condolences, writing, “I’m incredibly saddened to learn of #JamesEarlJones’ passing today. Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever. His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends, and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away.”

In the comments of her post, actress Peri Gilpin added, “I got to work with him for a week on Frasier. He was as playful and kind as he was talented and disciplined. It was only a week, but after that week, we all respected him even more than before. He was wonderful. As I get older and work with younger actors I always remember how life and career choice affirming he was. And I try to bring what James Earl Jones brought to work.”

Jones was also known as “the voice of CNN” for the “This is CNN” tagline heard in homes across the country. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a CNN spokesperson said, “We are deeply saddened to hear of James’ passing,” adding, “He was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James. Our thoughts are with his family.”