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New York Post
James Earl Jones cemented his status as a Hollywood legend in one of his final public events
By Sean Mandell,
8 hours ago
One of James Earl Jones’ final public outings cemented his place in the pantheon of Hollywood legends.
The late “Star Wars” star was honored in a special ceremony on July 10, 2019, where he cast his handprints and signature in cement as part of his induction into the Disney Legends Hall Of Fame.
The ceremony took place in Pawling, New York, where Jones lived until his death on Monday, September 9 . Jones’ induction was timed to coincide with Disney’s annual D23 Expo, a comic-con-style event that the company describes as three full days of “inside-the-magic” experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
James Earl Jones. John Atashian / Getty Images
Jones was unable to attend the expo in Anaheim, California, but instead was honored in a small ceremony near his home in New York.
Disney CEO Bob Iger introduced a pre-recorded video that Jones sent for D23 attendees at the confab.
“Hello Disney fans! Sorry i cant be with you today,” Jones said. “I’ve had the great honor to work with Disney several times over the years, and it’s a great honor to be included in the Disney legends Hall of Fame.”
He added, “Thank you, and may the force be with you.”
James Earl Jones doing his handprints. John Atashian / Getty Images James Earl Jones is shown arriving for his hand casting his hand in cement for Disney in Pawling, New York on July 10, 2019. John Atashian / Getty Images
Jones appeared in a number of iconic Disney projects over the course of his long career. Most notably, the actor voiced the character Mufasa in both the original animated “The Lion King” (1993) and its 2019 live-action remake.
He was also a host of “Fantasia/2000,” narrated the nature documentary “Earth,” and, of course, voiced Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise. Lucasfilm, which makes all of the “Star Wars” films and TV shows, is owned by Disney.
Disney Legends began in 1987 and honors “individuals who have made major contributions” to the company by having the honorees put their signatures and handprints in cement and then placed on bronze plaques.
Since 1998, those plaques have been placed on the Disney Legends Plaza at Walt Disney Studios.
A few years after being named a Disney Legend, Jones received another incredible honor when Broadway’s Cort Theater was renamed after him. Jones made his Broadway debut at the Cort in 1958 in “Sunrise at Campobello.”
Though Jones did not attend the public ceremony celebrating the renaming on September 12, 2022, he was given a private tour of the theatre that now bears his name a few days before.
“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,” Costner captioned a series of photos of the pair in the 1989 movie.
In addition to all his other accolades and accomplishments, Jones earned the coveted EGOT, winning 2 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a spoken-word Grammy Award in 1977, 3 Tony Awards and an honorary Oscar in 2011.
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