The world lost an icon on September 9th, 2024, when James Earl Jones passed away. Fans immediately began to pay their respects online, discussing which of his roles was most impactful. However, some of his colleagues, including three Star Wars legends, also touched on how Jones positively impacted their lives.
Of course, Jones voiced Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, starting with Episode IV – A New Hope. And while he may not have been on set like the rest of the cast, that didn’t stop Mark Hamill from having a real connection to the man who helped make his character’s father an important figure. “#RIP dad,” the actor wrote on X alongside a broken heart emoji.
Hamill had more to say on Instagram, posting a photo of him and Jones together with a caption that read, “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to Star Wars were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed.”
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The man who started it all, George Lucas, also had nothing but nice things to say about Jones, touching on what a positive force he was. “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being,” Lucas told StarWars.com. “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.”
“James will be missed by so many of us…friends and fans alike,” he added.
Finally, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy explained just how important Jones was to the Star Wars franchise and its fans. “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,” said Kennedy. “The menacing baritone he brought to Darth Vader will forever be beloved by fans and regarded as one of the great villainous performances in cinema. His commanding presence on screen, and warm personality off screen, will be greatly missed.”
Published: Sep 10, 2024 08:05 am