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

His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning at home in New York含羞草研究社檚 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 (含羞草研究社淎s the World Turns含羞草研究社�) 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.

含羞草研究社淭he need to storytell has always been with us,含羞草研究社� he told The Associated Press then. 含羞草研究社淚 think it first happened around campfires when the man came home and told his family he got the bear, the bear didn含羞草研究社檛 get him.含羞草研究社�

Jones created such memorable film roles as the reclusive writer coaxed back into the spotlight in 含羞草研究社淔ield of Dreams,含羞草研究社� the boxer Jack Johnson in the stage and screen hit 含羞草研究社淭he Great White Hope,含羞草研究社� the in 含羞草研究社淩oots: The Next Generation含羞草研究社� and a South African minister in 含羞草研究社淐ry, the Beloved Country.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淚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,含羞草研究社� once said.

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

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

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淪unrise At Campobello含羞草研究社� and would win his two Tony Awards for 含羞草研究社淭he Great White Hope含羞草研究社� (1969) and 含羞草研究社淔ences含羞草研究社� (1987). He also was nominated for 含羞草研究社淥n Golden Pond含羞草研究社� (2005) and 含羞草研究社淕ore Vidal含羞草研究社檚 The Best Man含羞草研究社� (2012). He was celebrated for his command of Shakespeare and alike. More recent Broadway appearances include 含羞草研究社淐at on a Hot Tin Roof,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淒riving Miss Daisy,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淭he Iceman Cometh,含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淵ou Can含羞草研究社檛 Take It With You.含羞草研究社�

As a rising stage and television actor, he performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival Theater in 含羞草研究社淥thello,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淢acbeth含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淜ing Lear含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 arrival to pursue life as a boxer and, later, an actor.

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

含羞草研究社淎 world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,含羞草研究社� Jones wrote in his autobiography, 含羞草研究社淰oices and Silences.含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淭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.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 normal speech. 含羞草研究社淚 could not get enough of speaking, debating, orating 含羞草研究社� acting,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社淭he Great White Hope.含羞草研究社� Howard Sackler含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社淧aris,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社淕o the Distance,含羞草研究社� singing 含羞草研究社淢ake Them Hear You含羞草研究社� and words from Samuel L. Jackson and

含羞草研究社淵ou can含羞草研究社檛 think of an artist that has served America more,含羞草研究社� told the AP. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like it seems like a small act, but it含羞草研究社檚 a huge action. It含羞草研究社檚 something we can look up and see that含羞草研究社檚 tangible.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淚 realized early on, from people like Athol Fugard, that you cannot change anybody含羞草研究社檚 mind, no matter what you do,含羞草研究社� he told the AP. 含羞草研究社淎s a preacher, as a scholar, you cannot change their mind. But you can change the way they feel.含羞草研究社�