James Earl Jones was an American actor known for his film roles and theater work. He was one of the few performers who made it to EGOT. Jones has been described as “one of America's … wikis.”
The 93-year-old died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, according to reports from Variety and Deadline.
According to his agent Barry McPherson, Jones died at home on Monday morning. At first it was not clear what the reason was.
On January 17, 1931, Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, by the light of an oil lamp in a shack. Before the baby was born, Robert Earl Jones, his father, left his wife to follow his dreams of becoming a boxer and then an actor.
Jones' mother took him to her parents' farm outside Manistee, Michigan, when he was six years old. The child was raised by his grandparents after adoption.
At the University of Michigan, he failed the pre-med exam and switched to drama, and also played four seasons of basketball. He served in the army from 1953 to 1955.
In New York he moved in with his father and enrolled in the American Wing Theater Program for Young Actors. A father and son waxed floors to support themselves while looking for acting jobs.
The real star came suddenly in 1970 with “The Great White Hope”. Howard Sackler's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play depicted the struggles of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, amid the racism of early 20th century America. In 1972, Jones reprized his role in the film version and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
