The Star Wars actor passed away at his home in September aged 93 and will now be honoured with a special tribute by the theatre world to a legend of modern acting
Legendary actor James Earl Jones, famed worldwide for being the voice of ‘Star Wars’ villain Darth Vader and the majestic Mufasa in ‘The Lion King’, died a few weeks ago aged 93 at his home in Dutchess County, New York. In honour of a stellar 70-year career that transcended cinema with outstanding stage work, Broadway lights will dim for Jones, signalling a poignant farewell to a titan of the theatre world.
At precisely 6.45 pm on Thursday, marquees will pay homage to Jones’s immense contribution to the arts as house lights across Broadway theatres lower – a time-honoured tradition for commemorating departed legends.
Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League, lauded the late star’s impact saying: “James Earl Jones was a true pillar of the Broadway industry, providing unforgettable experiences to multiple generations of theatregoers all while accumulating many well-deserved honours, awards, and achievements for his iconic performances in other entertainment fields.”
Laks continued, extolling Jones’s theatrical successes: “While we acknowledge and celebrate Mr Jones’ significant legacy across multiple mediums, we are particularly proud of his legacy on Broadway, and are grateful for the many memorable performances with which he graced our stages.”
Jones was saluted by his peers with a Tony Award for lifetime achievement in 2017 and saw his debut stage, the Cort Theatre, renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honour last year.
Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 as an understudy in ‘The Egghead’, and a decade later, he bagged a Tony award for his role in ‘The Great White Hope’.
His other memorable stage performances include roles in August Wilson’s ‘Fences’, as well as ‘The Iceman Cometh’, ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ and ‘Driving Miss Daisy’.
More recently, he appeared in 2017’s ‘The Gin Game’ on Broadway. In 1968, James tied the knot with actress and singer Julienne Marie, whom he met while performing as Othello in 1964.
The couple didn’t have any children and ended their marriage in 1972. A decade later, he wed actress Cecilia Hart, and they had a son named Flynn.
Sadly, she passed away from ovarian cancer on 16 October, 2016.
