Star Wars creator George Lucas has led the tributes to “incredible actor” James Earl Jones, the voice behind Darth Vader, following his death at the age of 93.
In a statement, Lucas described Jones as “a most unique voice both in art and spirit”.
“For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being,” the director said.
Jones was best known for giving Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader his distinctive deep voice, and also starred in dozens of other films including Field of Dreams, Coming To America, Conan the Barbarian and The Lion King.
Mark Hamill, who played Vader’s son Luke Skywalker, posted “RIP Dad” on X with a broken heart emoji.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy added: “James Earl Jones is one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time, with an iconic body of work across film, stage and television.
Disney chief executive Bob Iger said: “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history.”
Actor Matthew Broderick, who voiced Simba in the Lion King, told People magazine: “I’m so lucky to have had a chance to work with James Earl Jones. To have had him play my father, my king! And to get to know him a little bit.”
Credit: bbc.com
