James Earl Jones died at age 93. He voiced two of my all-time favorite characters – Mufasa (The Lion King) and Darth Vader (Star Wars).
His baritone was something else – some of his dialogues (“Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.”) still give me the goosebumps.
As Variety’s tribute shared, when asked in 2014 about how he’d kept his career alive for so long, Jones’ response evoked the kind of plainspoken humility that he had so often brought to his performances as well.
“The secret is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and that nothing is your final thing, nothing is your greatest thing, nothing is your worst thing,” Jones said. “I still consider myself a novice.”
Rest in peace James Earl Jones. Thank you for the memories.
