Stars of the screen on Monday were mourning the death of James Earl Jones, the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, at the age of 93.
Jones, who also voiced King Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature The Lion King, had a prolific and varied career. Over six decades he worked with some of the greatest figures in cinema and theater, including Stanley Kubrick in his 1964 Cold War satire Dr Strangelove.
He also had roles in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan The Barbarian and the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams, but it was for his role as one of cinema’s most famous villains that he became most widely known.
Photo: Reuters
While Darth Vader’s immense physicality was the result of the towering British actor David Prowse, the sinister voice that appeared to emanate from inside the reconstructed man-in-a-mask was that of Jones. And it was Jones who gave the Star Wars franchise some of its most memorable lines, including when he reveals to Luke Skywalker — played by Mark Hamill — “I am your father.”
Hamill took to social media on Monday to share news of Jones’ death, writing simply: “#RIP dad” with a broken heart emoji.
Rustin star Colman Domingo wrote on social media that Jones was “a master of our craft.”
“We stand on your shoulders. Rest now. You gave us your best,” he wrote.
Lydia Cornell, whose 1982 debut Bloodtide was opposite Jones, wrote: “Oh no!! I can’t believe it!! I thought he was going to live forever.”
“Adored working with him. Such a generous spirit, and so humble. Taught me the power of stillness and using my voice,” she wrote.
Selma director Ava DuVernay posted images of Jones, accompanied by a heartfelt message.
“Thank you for showing us ourselves. Our complicated selves, our dignified selves, our smiles, our pain. A job well done. A gift beautifully shared. Bless you as you journey on,” she wrote.
Alongside a clip of Jones’ 1974 film Claudine she urged fans to seek it out if they have never seen it.
“Mr. Jones crying in a scene of this film is one of the most exquisite cinematic images of a Black man I’ve ever seen. Don’t miss it. He gave us so much,” she wrote.
The Help star Octavia Spencer posted a black-and-white photograph of Jones, alongside a tribute that nodded to his indelible role in Star Wars.
“Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever,” Spencer wrote. “His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away.”
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including
RSS