Born in poverty in segregated Mississippi, Jones went on to become one of the world’s most celebrated actors on stage and screen.

Actor James Earl Jones, an imposing stage and screen presence whose commanding voice defined Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died. He was 93.

Jones, who had had diabetes for many years, died on Monday at home, his agent Barry McPherson said. He was surrounded by family members.

The pioneering Jones, who in 1965 became one of the first African American actors in a continuing role on a daytime drama (As the World Turns) and worked well into his 80s, won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was also given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theatre was renamed in his honour.

Jones’s deep, commanding voice also defined his career. As well as being the voice of Darth Vader, he was King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s The Lion King and could be heard announcing “This is CNN” to introduce the channel’s news shows.

Jones laughed when a BBC interviewer asked if he resented being so closely tied to Darth Vader, a role in which David Prowse did the on-screen work in costume.

“I love being part of that whole myth, of that whole cult,” he said, adding that he was glad to oblige fans who asked for a command recital of his “I am your father” line to Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.

Read more on Aljazeera