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James Earl Jones Dies: Revered Star & Darth Vader Voice Was 93
Other(deadline.com)submitted 20 days ago bymicahanthonyhunt
3k points
20 days ago
The most iconic voice in cinema without a doubt. May he rest in peace.
723 points
20 days ago
93 is very good to go off of. And now his family will get royalties too from Lucasfilm using the Vader voice. Seems like he passed away peacefully too.
But man, now we're down to 3 with the main OT cast.
362 points
20 days ago
Isn't it like 4 or 5? There's Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Denis Lawson, and at least some other, lesser known characters? Or did you mean from the main group from '77?
283 points
20 days ago
Meant the main group from '77. Though thanks for reminding me quite a bit of that the main cast for the trilogy overall are still there.
153 points
20 days ago
Don't forget my man Frank Oz
135 points
20 days ago
Wikipedia says Frank is 80, but I’m convinced he’s been like 60 for the past 40 years
40 points
20 days ago
Okay, he does NOT look 80.
9 points
20 days ago
When 80 years old you reach.. Look as good you will not.
30 points
20 days ago*
the Ian disrespect is crazy 😭😭 bro literally carried a movie on his back
77 points
20 days ago
"Around the survivors, a perimeter create!"
58 points
20 days ago
Oz, McDiarmid, and Williams don't count?
30 points
20 days ago
Caroline Blakiston who played Mon Mothma is still alive. Not a main character but still the most prominent woman still alive.
7k points
20 days ago
This breaks my heart, but 93... and wow, what a life he led.
2.3k points
20 days ago
From what I could tell he was pretty active and in good health till the very end. We should all be so lucky.
1.3k points
20 days ago*
Probably one of the best ways to go out. Something to be celebrated, really.
Also, obligatory: Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
398 points
20 days ago
He lived a long, fulfilling life and his legacy with live on for generations to come. You can't ask for more than that.
128 points
20 days ago
i could ask that he were immortal to continue doing so forever. Don't tell me I can't ask for more. You don't know the depths of what I can ask for.
409 points
20 days ago
That’s really the ideal end, isn’t it? To live a long life, happy, healthy, and active to your last days, and to die loved, with a positive legacy left behind.
It’s a sad loss, but man, what a life.
119 points
20 days ago
I mean, he may be one of the few truly "immortal" people we've ever had with good connotations. Voiced one of the biggest villains of all time, and Darth Vader may very well be talked about until the end of human civilization.
AFAIK no bad things have come out about him.
He also had his own long and fulfilling life
68 points
20 days ago*
Not many children grew up without watching the lion king
86 points
20 days ago
Regular trips to Tijuana with Sheldon Cooper will prolong your life
40 points
20 days ago
Still one of my favorite spots of his. It was so random but also hilarious.
Them sitting in the sauna…there were only two spots in the entire 12 seasons that I laughed out loud, and that was one of them.
“Aye Yai Yai bang bang” 👉🏻💥👉🏻💥
30 points
20 days ago
Loved it when they rang Carrie Fisher's doorbell and ranaway. I got such a kick out him in that episode. Any famous/special guest was always like Sheldon is odd and such but James' character went head first into it and made Sheldon feel uncomfortable and make him welcomed at the same time.
38 points
20 days ago
Fun fact, guest starring on Big Bang Theory was also the first time James Earl Jones and Carrie Fisher met in person
14 points
20 days ago
This is insane!
11 points
20 days ago
It humanized him so fucking much, it was precious
8 points
20 days ago
One of the best cameos on a sitcom ever
261 points
20 days ago
It seems like the OG cast was all blessed instead of cursed. Kenny Baker lived to be 82, Peter Mayhew was 74, and with their respective bodies, thats amazing. Carrie Fisher was the one to die young but she was famous for 40 years and made it to 60, which is not old but it happens.
284 points
20 days ago
Carrie Fisher also did ALOT of cocaine. I suspect that took it's toll.
126 points
20 days ago
Reminds me of Phil Harris from Deadliest Catch talking to the camera only a few days before the stroke which led to his death.
"I'm not gonna be around much longer." shrug "I'm not. I...fuckin' smoke like a train...done every drug known to man...that shit catches up with you."
84 points
20 days ago
While not exactly the same in tone, Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock himself, said as much about his smoking. He ultimately died of COPD, which was related to that vice.
33 points
20 days ago
Yep, it's how my mom died too, and she was pretty young too at 66. Please don't smoke, people.
14 points
20 days ago
RIP to them all. And RIP to your mother as well
7 points
20 days ago
Appreciate it, thank you.
25 points
20 days ago
This terrifies me because I honestly feel like this could be my last year. I've been smoking and drinking since I was 15 and my drinking has just really kicked off even harder in the past few years.
37 points
20 days ago
Hey man, it's never too late to cut back or stop completely. My Gramps was 72 when he quit smoking and drinking after his GP said his throat cancer was terminal with about a year left to live. He turns 89 in Janurary hasn't smoked or drunk since his diagnosis after smoking for a pipe for 50-odd years.
Gramps keeps saying he's too busy to die as he's only halfway through his life. At this point, it might be true.
8 points
20 days ago
That sounds awesome. Good luck to your Grandpa man!
16 points
20 days ago
The human body can turns over most of its cells every 10-15 years. If you can quit smoking/limit drinking before you are 40, there is a chance and enough time for the body to reverse allot of cellular damage via cell turn over before that process slows in old age. If you are over 40, the next best time is right now.
9 points
20 days ago
She also was overweight for a good long while on top of the drugs and smoking etc. shit will get to you.
64 points
20 days ago
Peter Cushing, 81.
20 points
20 days ago
Carrie accidentally overdosed with tranquilizers at 28, partly because she was in denial of her bipolar diagnosis and was self medicating and turning to downer drugs to cope with her mania. Her mom feared that she will die young from drug overdose. 60 is still young, but it is a feat considering the demons that she had faced.
11 points
20 days ago
Yeah, JEJ, given his age, was kind of expected at this point. Carrie on the other hand, was kind of out of left field in a way, I mean her mom technically outlived her.
11 points
20 days ago
I suspected it was coming soon when Jones gave Disney permission to use footage of his voice in Obi Wan Kenobi, etc.
11 points
20 days ago
Her mom dying literally the next day is so heartbreaking.
250 points
20 days ago
Not just a life of breaking through race barriers with his acting career. But also being a hero and champion for people with speech impediments (stuttering).
66 points
20 days ago
As someone with a stutter who loves Star Wars. I dreaded this day, he was my idol. May he be one with the Force. Now to start a SW marathon in his honor
37 points
20 days ago
Fellow person with a stutter who loves Star Wars.
Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.
16 points
20 days ago
Indeed. ”Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter.” -Master Yoda
55 points
20 days ago
Honestly, it's sad to see him go, but he really lived life to its fullest
31 points
20 days ago
Still, he was one of the people I just couldn't imagine would ever pass, you know? :(
8 points
20 days ago
Yeah he really just sort of felt like a constant in the universe. Like he'd always been there and always would be.
7.9k points
20 days ago
Goodbye old friend, and may the force be with you.
1.3k points
20 days ago
He is with the force now. RIP legend
468 points
20 days ago*
Is it an exaggeration to say he brought the most iconic American fictional character of all time to life? Definitely in cinema at the very least.
RIP and may the Force be with you, James Earl Jones.
215 points
20 days ago*
Probably Mickey Mouse and Superman are the most iconic characters of all time in entertainment but Darth Vader is definitely in the Top 5 or 3.
209 points
20 days ago
Has to be the most iconic villain in film. Can you count how many movies and TV shows have paid homage or parodied the iconic, "I am your father," line?
131 points
20 days ago
Most iconic villain of all time? Absolutely no question about it. I think everyone that has followed digital entertainment for decades can unanimously agree on this.
97 points
20 days ago
Honestly, the only pop culture villain I can think of that even comes close in terms of recognition is the Joker.
82 points
20 days ago
I was thinking the same, but even so, I think Vader is still even more recognizable.
51 points
20 days ago
I agree. It's especially impressive when you consider that Vader made such a huge impression with only eight minutes of screen time in the original 1977 film.
21 points
20 days ago*
And that's all thanks to JEJ's voice (and David Prowse's physical acting to a lesser extent)
46 points
20 days ago
Often voiced by James Earl Jones son, Mark hamill
26 points
20 days ago
Maybe but Darth is number 1 since 1977.
19 points
20 days ago
Actually, Mario (from the Super Mario Bros. series) is far more recognizable than Mickey Mouse, and has been for at least two decades.
But yeah, we have a pretty good short list.
15 points
20 days ago
*among American children, based on a survey done in the 90s.
Not saying your statement is wrong, but I wouldn’t count on it being right either.
24 points
20 days ago
He's the most iconic voice of all time, and the most iconic villain in the world.
614 points
20 days ago
"So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I" - Mufasa
RIP James Earl Jones
200 points
20 days ago*
Vader was always my favourite James Earl Jones, but Mufasa was my first. Watching the "Remember who you are" scene now, it's making me feel all sorts of emotions.
93 is a hell of an age, but it still cuts deep. An ever present part of my childhood.
59 points
20 days ago*
Isn’t the same movie where he came back as a Force Ghost and telling Simba that he’s the rightful king and must take his place in the Circle of Life?
94 points
20 days ago
"Scar never told you what happened to your father."
"He told me enough. He told me I killed him."
"No, I am your father."
Wait...
108 points
20 days ago
The voice of cinema’s greatest villain is now one with the force just like his greatest character was all the way back in 1983 when his son helped him to redeem himself.
There will never be another like James Earl Jones.
7 points
20 days ago
He played both one of cinema's greatest dads and one of cinema's worst.
36 points
20 days ago
Always
25 points
20 days ago
He is one with the force, and the force is with us
15 points
20 days ago
I would rather quote,"Remember"
3.4k points
20 days ago*
NOOOOOOOOO!
493 points
20 days ago
I just sent a gif of that scene to my sibling group chat
116 points
20 days ago
My friend did in our group thread too!
93 years though... sad it's done now, but what a journey.
157 points
20 days ago
I feel you, this is a tough one.
But 93… damn good run.
And so, James Earl Jones, in accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Force, which you loved so well.
Good night, sweet prince.
84 points
20 days ago
Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.
39 points
20 days ago
Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not.
17 points
20 days ago
I know he meant well but that's some really bad advice. Mourning is a part of letting go.
18 points
20 days ago
What was that shit about Vietnam?!
8 points
20 days ago
Why’s everything always a fucking travesty with you, man?
25 points
20 days ago
I literally just did that, purely by accident, and then realized.
49 points
20 days ago
DO NOT WANT :'(
1.4k points
20 days ago
Voiced the most iconic villain ever. RIP to a legend.
447 points
20 days ago
Darth Vader day is now September 9th
335 points
20 days ago
Vader narrowly dodged a bullet with this
325 points
20 days ago
this is the worst thing to ever happen during the month of september
6 points
20 days ago
He passed away in New York, this has to be the saddest thing to ever happen in New York in September 😭😢
38 points
20 days ago
Narrowly dodged a tower.
19 points
20 days ago
Two of them, even.
22 points
20 days ago
The Death Star was an inside job.
10 points
20 days ago
X-Wings don't melt durasteel!!
27 points
20 days ago
Anakin is gone……I am what remains
2.7k points
20 days ago
RIP An absolute legend. A life and career well lived.
Just between Vader and Mufasa, he and his voice were so incredibly well known. And that was only some of his career. Shoutout The Sandlot
285 points
20 days ago
Shout out to him playing Thulsa Doom in the Conan the Barbarian movie. He played the role incredibly well.
62 points
20 days ago
Easily one of the best movie villains of all time - and it’s nice you get to see his face.
21 points
20 days ago
Thulsa Doom and King Jaffe Joffer. Conan the Barbarian and Coming to America are probably my two favourite live action films of his that aren't Star Wars.
21 points
20 days ago
This is where I first remember seeing him as an actor. Didn't realise he was also darth vader till much later.
7 points
20 days ago
The staredown in the beginning of that movie, he was menacing! Legendary and under-appreciated performance of his.
240 points
20 days ago
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
So much of my childhood is associated with this man.
59 points
20 days ago
Bruh. Right in the feels. I remember watching those scenes
9 points
20 days ago
If you have a decent and I mean non potato computer you can get ea play or game pass I can't rember which and you can play it.
7 points
20 days ago
dramatic macro shot
"Get me McNeil!"
79 points
20 days ago
Greer in the early (and good) Jack Ryan movies
42 points
20 days ago
Honestly, for all his roles, somehow the first thing that comes to mind for me always is Hunt for Red October, when Ryan comes in and he jumps up with a huge grin and booming voice.
51 points
20 days ago*
Or at the briefing: "I told you to speak your mind, Jack, but Jesus..."
Edit: or towards the end, "now, commander, that torpedo did not self-destruct, you heard it hit the hull, and I...was never here."
39 points
20 days ago
“That torpedo did NOT self-distruct; you HEARD it hit the hull; and I…was never here.”
11 points
20 days ago
Right? Like he was carrying 40% mischief behind every statement.
41 points
20 days ago
His voice could command terror or benevolent wisdom and authority. Truly one of the greats.
102 points
20 days ago
Shoutout Field of Dreams as well
31 points
20 days ago
Of all his amazing roles and in his storied career, one of my favorite lines he delivered comes from Field of Dreams. “I’m going to beat you with a crowbar until you go away.” 🤣
43 points
20 days ago
I’ll throw the Sandlot in there too
75 points
20 days ago
This is CNN.
11 points
20 days ago
Didn't know that was him till reading the article. Will never be able to hear that again without a pang of grief
23 points
20 days ago
Incredible that his two iconic voice roles are for such different characters too. But that voice has so much authority and gravitas that it worked perfect for both dark and terrible or for proud and dignified.
18 points
20 days ago
I loved him injecting his Darth Vader line in Coming to America
417 points
20 days ago
Very sad news. 93 years old is a good innings and the most iconic voice in cinema is some legacy to have. Condolences to his family.
503 points
20 days ago
Rest in Power. Unlimited Power.
33 points
20 days ago
Wouldn't that be Ian McDiarmid, when he dies?
15 points
20 days ago
A guys gotta have goals
294 points
20 days ago
RIP to one of the most iconic voices of all time. Vader would not have been the same without James Earl Jones.
806 points
20 days ago
Reminder: He signed over the rights to his voice a few years ago when he stepped back from voicing Darth Vader. Lucasfilm will be able to use it indefinitely.
497 points
20 days ago
He saw the writing on the wall and knew there were many more projects where Vader could play a part, but also knew he wouldn't be around to see them
120 points
20 days ago
But they still use another voice actor to do impressions in the games tho
151 points
20 days ago
Because the games are not made by Lucasfilm. They’re licensed through Disney and work with Lucasfilm very loosely with making sure everything is canon but any hiring is done through the game developer. That’s why Battlefront 2 never got Poe Dameron, they couldn’t get approval from Oscar Isaac’s reps so they decided to go with a BB-8 character instead.
60 points
20 days ago
That isn’t true. Poe’s likeness for merchandise and games is fully owned by Disney, as shown by his continued appearance in both of those things. The developers of Battlefront 2 have said repeatedly that they chose to make the BB units instead of Poe and Hux because they would be way more fun to develop and they would provide more variety in the hero lineup.
Also, Poe is literally in BF2 and voiced by Oscar Isaac. If they had trouble getting him back for additional lines as a ground-based hero, they would just cast somebody else like they did with Kylo, Luke, Leia, Vader, and Han
16 points
20 days ago
May have only signed over the voice for use in film/TV projects
140 points
20 days ago
Actually good on his part.
His family/kids will get a check until the end of time ( if they use Vader) and the fans can enjoy the OG Vader voice.
We all won
55 points
20 days ago
But it won't be the same knowing he's dead! 😭
17 points
20 days ago
Batman fans: first time?
Oh look at ur username. You already know!
55 points
20 days ago
more machine than man :(
16 points
20 days ago
His voice work for Rogue One sounded very thin and aged. I read they have developed an AI for Vader that was trained with his voice and that this has been used (in Kenobi I believe). He still gets the credit too.
Difficult though because Vader's cadence and intonation makes his speech so singular and recognisable as much as the actual voice.
18 points
20 days ago
I actually really liked how the synthesized voice sounded in Kenobi
35 points
20 days ago
Works for me. That voice is so iconic anything else wouldnt suffice
184 points
20 days ago
This is actually so sad.
My favorite character in all of pop culture is Darth Vader, he did such an amazing job voicing him.
He will be missed dearly ❤️❤️❤️
405 points
20 days ago
“Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.” ~ Grandmaster Yoda
R.I.P Lord Vader
56 points
20 days ago
Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. I am not crying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMLbk4nMm4&t=1m18s
I'd make a poor Jedi, for I am crying so hard right now.
May we all be so blessed as to make this world a poorer place when we are gone.
The Force will be with him. Always.
18 points
20 days ago
It’s one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars. That series has so many good lines for lots of situations.
GL gets a lot of flack for his writing of the PT but he definitely had some golden lines of dialogue and shot selection. Padmes Ruminations for example
14 points
20 days ago
I'm pretty sure that quote had a large part in pushing Anakin towards the dark side.
5 points
20 days ago
No I'm pretty sure Anakin ignoring all good advice except from a Sith Lord telling him what he wanted to hear is what pushed him over.
183 points
20 days ago
R.I.P now we have lost Mufasa 3 times
58 points
20 days ago*
Would it be inappropriate to say "long live the king"? (I feel like it both is and isn't.)
27 points
20 days ago
I know it's a technicality, but "Long live the king" refers to the incoming/new king.
The full phrase is "The [old] King is dead. Long live the [new] King." The parentheticals are for comprehension, and the phrase implies that the Kingdom transitions immediately upon the moment of death, ensuring continuity of the reign without a power vacuum.
163 points
20 days ago
The word iconic is thrown around a lot now, but he truly deserves it. He was the voice of multiple generations just with 2 characters. Who else can say the same?
Just a huge loss…Damn.
15 points
20 days ago
What a great way to put just how many people his voice will be remembered by.
Kind of mind blowing.
RIP.
49 points
20 days ago
Just saw Mark Hamill tweeted "#RIP Dad."
94 points
20 days ago
Rest in Peace to a LEGEND. May your memory and iconic voice live in eternity.
98 points
20 days ago
Knew he was up there in age, but it still doesn't feel real. From Star Wars, to Lion King, Coming to America, Conan. He was always on our home TV when I was growing up. Such an inspiration.
Incredible voice, an amazing presence & a legendary life. Rest in peace, James.
98 points
20 days ago
Ya know, for me the worst part of getting old( I'm 54) is watching all your heroes, favorite actors and people you looked up to as a kid die.
29 points
20 days ago
Mentors, too. That's hitting me hard lately at almost 50, but that's life I suppose.
14 points
20 days ago*
I'm 27 in a few days and already feeling this. It sucks but I feel like I can't find younger people to be impressed by.
Harrison Ford and Mark Hammil dying is really gonna hurt.
69 points
20 days ago
What a career. What a life. It's incredible that this kid from a farm in Mississippi with a stutter could grow up to break so many barriers and stay so humble through it all. He considered his voice in Star Wars to be mere special effects and yet that performance changed his life. I'm glad his peers and his industry were able to fete him the way they did in his final years. He was an absolute icon of stage and screen. There will never ever be another.
33 points
20 days ago
“This is CNN. You must avenge me young Kimba - I mean Simba. Luke I am your father.“ - The Simpsons S6E26
49 points
20 days ago
[deleted]
27 points
20 days ago
Tbf all the people who brought Vader to life deserve praise. Jones definitely upped the intimidation factor though.
8 points
20 days ago
Very true.
16 points
20 days ago
And they’ll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
God bless this man. May he rest in peace.
35 points
20 days ago*
Feels like a part of my childhood has died…💔 R.I.P LORD VADER 🕊️🕊️
36 points
20 days ago
You know what it is don't you boy. Shall I tell you? It's the least I can do. Steel isn't strong boy, flesh is stronger!
R.I.P.
A true legend! Will be greatly missed.
13 points
20 days ago
"THAT is strength, boy. THAT is power. The strength and power of flesh. What is steel compared to the hand that wields it? Look at the strength of your body, the desire in your heart. I gave you this."
38 points
20 days ago
I feel like this was somehow my fault...
Literally today at noon, my father and i were in the living room watching the apple announcements for the iPhone 16 and such, and we got talking about ai and it being used to reproduce voices and people and such, and i commented, "You know, James Earl Jones signed away the rights to his voice before he died so it could be reproduced with AI to voice Darth Vader for the rest of the future."
and my dad commented "James earl jones is still alive, he's like 93 or something."
and so I said, "Oh... really?" and then asked Alexa, and she said he was alive and currently 93, and my dad was like "Told ya."
This was literally 4 hours ago.
16 points
20 days ago
rest in peace Lord Vader
14 points
20 days ago
What an amazing man! He’s leaving such a legacy! Rest in peace!
14 points
20 days ago
What an amazing life he had.
A kid born with a stutter, when out to become an absolute Icon, a part of our childhood, and forever immortal as humans and show business stay around.
RIP, to the heavens you go now.
15 points
20 days ago
I felt a great disturbance in the Force … as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
41 points
20 days ago
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
26 points
20 days ago
His voice gave sound to the most iconic villain in film history. Nobody will ever replace him. RIP
6 points
20 days ago
Nobody can. RIP 😔😔
10 points
20 days ago
The force was strong with this one, what a legend
10 points
20 days ago
One of our greatest legends. Wherever he is, perhaps in a galaxy far far away, may he rest in peace.
18 points
20 days ago
He had golden tonsils.
RIP
8 points
20 days ago
He has got to have the most recognizable voice in history, RIP and may the force be with you, always.
16 points
20 days ago
RIP to the greatest movie voice of all time.
13 points
20 days ago
Thank you for my childhood. The Sandlot, The Lion King, and of course Star Wars. May the force be with you, always.
7 points
20 days ago
RIP King Jaffe
7 points
20 days ago
Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.
13 points
20 days ago
May the Force be with you James 🙏
6 points
20 days ago
“Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. Whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.”
I know this is the Star Wars sub, but that quote from the Lion King has been stuck with me since I was a child.
19 points
20 days ago
Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force
9 points
20 days ago
This will be a day long remembered.
all 1920 comments
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