James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93

The actor who voiced the popular villain from the Star Wars franchise passed away Monday at his home in southeast New York, his agency told Deadline. The source did not release Jones’ cause of death. Jones battled Type 2 diabetes since the mid-1990s, according to a 2016 interview. Jones portrayed several iconic characters including Mufasa in The Lion King franchise, Terrance Mann in Field of Dreams, and Adm. James Greer in The Hunt for Red October. He’s also widely recognized for his role as Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot, and King Jaffe Joffer in Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America series.

Jones also spent considerable time on the stage and performed in Broadway renditions of The Great White Hope, Of Mice and Men, and Fences. He also made small appearances in popular TV shows like House, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, and The Big Bang Theory. Jones became one of only a few performers to achieve EGOT status, earning two Emmys, one Grammy, one honorary Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. He also received the National Medal of Arts in 1992 and Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. Jones is survived by his son Flynn Earl Jones.