George Lucas, Mark Hamill, More Remember ‘Legendary’ James Earl Jones

Hollywood is mourning a legendary actor. On Monday, following the death of James Earl Jones, dozens of celebrities shared tributes to the actor who voiced Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in Star Wars . Jones died at his home in New York at the age of 93.

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In a statement, George Lucas remembered Jones as “an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit.” The Star Wars creator and director added, “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 devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn.”

“RIP dad ,” Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars , posted on X (formerly Twitter), referencing the iconic “ I am your father ” line Jones said to his character in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back .

Actor Colman Domingo also shared an X tribute, posting a vintage photo of the late actor. “Thank you dear James Earl Jones for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders,” Domingo wrote. “Rest now. You gave us your best.”

Octavia Spencer shared a portrait of the late actor, saying she was “incredibly saddened” by his death. “Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever,” Spencer wrote. “His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends, and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away.”

LeVar Burton, who starred with Jones in Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones , wrote , “There will never be another of his particular combination of graces.”

“Forever and always legendary ,” wrote Moonlight director Barry Jenkins on Instagram.

“Words cannot express how sad this makes me! thank you for gracing us with your talent and your spirit! It was a pleasure to work and know you,” added Garcelle Beauvais.

James Earl Jones, Storied Actor Who Voiced Darth Vader and Mufasa in 'Lion King,' Dead at 93

Crystal Kung Minkoff, the wife of Lion King director Rob Minkoff, shared a photo of Rob and James holding a statuette of Mufasa. “Rest in Power, Mr. Jones. You made a young animator’s dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa,” she wrote. “Thank you for all you have done for Rob. Your memory will live on.”

“The Man. The Voice. The Icon. Rest peacefully, Mr. Jones,” D-Nice wrote .

Jones voiced Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars films — A New Hope , The Empire Strikes Back , and Return of the Jedi — as well as the Star Wars Holiday Special . He’d return to the role for cameos in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith ( providing a guttural “No!” ), the animated series Star Wars Rebels , 2016’s Rogue One , and finally 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker .

“I knew the voice had to be very, very special,” director George Lucas said in 2015 at an American Theatre Wing gala honoring Jones . “It was a tough choice, but in the end, it was a really easy choice. It was really a choice between Orson Welles and James Earl Jones. James Earl Jones won hands down. He created, with very little dialogue, one of the greatest villains that ever lived.”

Jones was an unofficial EGOT winner after winning a non-competitive Academy Lifetime Award. Jones twice won Best Actor in a Play at the Tony Awards for The Great White Hope in 1969 and Fences in 1987, was a three-time Emmy Award winner, including Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire , and earned a Best Spoken Word Grammy in 1977 for Great American Documents .

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Tonys and the Screen Actors Guild, and was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2002.

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