He was an acclaimed and beloved actor with more iconic roles than most. In his long career, he conquered the screen and stage, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. He was a quintessential voice for multiple generations, whether that was as the voice of CNN (“This is CNN”), as the proud and tragic king Mufasa in The Lion King, or barking out orders as the terrifying Darth Vader in the Star Wars films.
Besides his voice work, his iconic smile could be seen in acclaimed films like Field of Dreams and The Hunt for Red October. He was larger than life to millennials, the voice and face of so many unforgettable characters, including Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot.
His final role was a reprisal of his role from Coming to America, King Jaffe Joffer, in 2021’s Coming 2 America.
Through his multiple iconic roles, Jones will live on in the hearts and minds of many. And in a more practical sense, he’ll live on through Darth Vader. The actor authorized the use of archival recordings of his voice for future projects involving the character.
