“Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, and Others Honor Star Wars Icon James Earl Jones”
As soon as news broke that the legendary actor and voice-over artist James Earl Jones passed away on Monday at the age of 93, Hollywood took to social media to express their grief.
Jones, renowned for voicing Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in the 1994 and 2019 versions of The Lion King, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, surrounded by his family, his representative confirmed to ABC News.
Here are some tributes from his famous friends and fans:
Mark Hamill, Jones’ Star Wars co-star who played Luke Skywalker, shared on social media, “#RIP dad.”
Kevin Costner, who appeared alongside Jones in Field of Dreams, posted on Instagram, “If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa.” He concluded with, “Rest in peace, friend.”
Rob Minkoff, director of the 1994 The Lion King, said, “His portrayal of Mufasa was perfection. What a powerful man and actor. Gone but never forgotten. Rest in power.”
Octavia Spencer expressed her sorrow on Instagram, saying she is “incredibly saddened” by the news and that “Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever.” She added, “His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends, and countless fans in all galaxies, far, far away.”
LeVar Burton, who worked with Jones on the 1980 film Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, tweeted, “There will never be another with his particular combination of graces.”
Colman Domingo shared on Instagram, “Rest. Thank you for everything. Everything. Everything. We all looked to you. Thank you, King James Earl Jones. Rest well.”
Yvette Nicole Brown reflected on Instagram, “Besides #StarWars, the first film I remember ever seeing was #Claudine. #JamesEarlJones is a part of my cinematic DNA. Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
Bob Iger, CEO of Disney (ABC News’ parent company), shared a moving tribute on Disney’s Instagram page, stating, “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.”
