who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen 香蕉视频直播� eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, 香蕉视频直播淭he Lion King香蕉视频直播� and Darth Vader 香蕉视频直播� has died. He was 93.

His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Monday morning at home in New York香蕉视频直播檚 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 (香蕉视频直播淎s the World Turns香蕉视频直播�) 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.

香蕉视频直播淭he need to storytell has always been with us,香蕉视频直播� he told The Associated Press then. 香蕉视频直播淚 think it first happened around campfires when the man came home and told his family he got the bear, the bear didn香蕉视频直播檛 get him.香蕉视频直播�

Jones created such memorable film roles as the reclusive writer coaxed back into the spotlight in 香蕉视频直播淔ield of Dreams,香蕉视频直播� the boxer Jack Johnson in the stage and screen hit 香蕉视频直播淭he Great White Hope,香蕉视频直播� the in 香蕉视频直播淩oots: The Next Generation香蕉视频直播� and a South African minister in 香蕉视频直播淐ry, the Beloved Country.香蕉视频直播�

He was also a expressing the villainy of Darth Vader (香蕉视频直播淣o, I am your father,香蕉视频直播� commonly misremembered as 香蕉视频直播淟uke, I am your father香蕉视频直播�), as well as the benign dignity of King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of and announcing 香蕉视频直播淭his is CNN香蕉视频直播� during station breaks. He won a 1977 Grammy for his performance on the 香蕉视频直播淕reat American Documents香蕉视频直播� audiobook.

香蕉视频直播淚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,香蕉视频直播� once said.

Some of his other films include 香蕉视频直播淒r. Strangelove,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭he Greatest香蕉视频直播� (with , 香蕉视频直播淐onan the Barbarian,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭hree Fugitives香蕉视频直播� and playing an admiral in three blockbuster adaptations 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭he Hunt for Red October,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淧atriot Games香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淐lear and Present Danger.香蕉视频直播� In a rare romantic comedy, 香蕉视频直播淐laudine,香蕉视频直播� Jones had an onscreen love affair with

LeVar Burton, who starred alongside Jones in the TV movie 香蕉视频直播淕uyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones,香蕉视频直播� paid tribute on X, writing, 香蕉视频直播淭here will never be another of his particular combination of graces.香蕉视频直播�

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淪unrise At Campobello香蕉视频直播� and would win his two Tony Awards for 香蕉视频直播淭he Great White Hope香蕉视频直播� (1969) and 香蕉视频直播淔ences香蕉视频直播� (1987). He also was nominated for 香蕉视频直播淥n Golden Pond香蕉视频直播� (2005) and 香蕉视频直播淕ore Vidal香蕉视频直播檚 The Best Man香蕉视频直播� (2012). He was celebrated for his command of Shakespeare and alike. More recent Broadway appearances include 香蕉视频直播淐at on a Hot Tin Roof,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淒riving Miss Daisy,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭he Iceman Cometh,香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淵ou Can香蕉视频直播檛 Take It With You.香蕉视频直播�

As a rising stage and television actor, he performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival Theater in 香蕉视频直播淥thello,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淢acbeth香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淜ing Lear香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 arrival to pursue life as a boxer and, later, an actor.

When Jones was 6, his mother took him to her parents香蕉视频直播� farm near Manistee, Michigan. His grandparents adopted the boy and raised him.

香蕉视频直播淎 world ended for me, the safe world of childhood,香蕉视频直播� Jones wrote in his autobiography, 香蕉视频直播淰oices and Silences.香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭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.香蕉视频直播�

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香蕉视频直播檚 normal speech. 香蕉视频直播淚 could not get enough of speaking, debating, orating 香蕉视频直播� acting,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淭he Great White Hope.香蕉视频直播� Howard Sackler香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淧aris,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淕o the Distance,香蕉视频直播� singing 香蕉视频直播淢ake Them Hear You香蕉视频直播� and words from Samuel L. Jackson and

香蕉视频直播淵ou can香蕉视频直播檛 think of an artist that has served America more,香蕉视频直播� told the AP. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 like it seems like a small act, but it香蕉视频直播檚 a huge action. It香蕉视频直播檚 something we can look up and see that香蕉视频直播檚 tangible.香蕉视频直播�

Citing his stutter as one of the reasons he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a political activist, Jones nonetheless hoped his art could change minds.

香蕉视频直播淚 realized early on, from people like Athol Fugard, that you cannot change anybody香蕉视频直播檚 mind, no matter what you do,香蕉视频直播� he told the AP. 香蕉视频直播淎s a preacher, as a scholar, you cannot change their mind. But you can change the way they feel.香蕉视频直播�