James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader, dies

COLOMBO (News 1st); Screen legend and one of the most recognizable voices in cinema, James Earl Jones, died on Monday at 93. 

He leaves behind an esteemed film canon that will live on for decades to come in films like Field of Dreams, Coming to America, a Tom Clancy trilogy, and, of course, his iconic voice work as the villainous Darth Vader in numerous Star Wars projects and the beloved Mufasa in Disney's Lion King and its sequels.

During his career, Jones earned three Emmys, three Tonys, a Grammy, and an honorary Oscar in 2011 for lifetime achievement. Read on below as we celebrate Jones' onscreen legacy.

James Earl Jones’ Career Spanned Over Six Decades.

The career of this Mississippi native spanned an impressive six decades-despite being born with a stutter, Jones often attributed his success in acting to helping him conquer this challenge.

He made his Broadway debut in 1957 after pursuing a medical degree in college and serving in the United States Army during the Korean War.

According to IMDb, he portrayed two distinct doctors on the CBS soap operas “Guiding Light” and “As The World Turns” in the 1950s, marking his first notable roles as Dr. Jerry Turner and Dr. Jim Frazier, respectively.

His significant breakthrough in film came with Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic, Dr. Strangelove, which launched his career on the big screen, later returning to the stage.