James Earl Jones, an imposing figure on stage and screen, passed away on Monday at the age of 93. He became famous around the world as Darth Vader, a cosmic evil, after overcoming a childhood stammer and developing a stentorian voice.

According to Jones’s representative Barry McPherson, James Earl Jones passed away at home with his family by his side.

Despite his commanding stage presence, Jones’s voice carried him far in his career; he would have been famous even if no one ever saw his face. Depending on the scene, the deep bass might either inspire reverence (as it did for the wise father Mufasa in “The Lion King” and other Shakespearean parts) or terror (as it did for the rasping Vader in the “Star Wars” movies).

In response to a question from a Reuters interviewer about whether he disliked being so strongly associated with Darth Vader, Jones burst out laughing. The job only called for his voice for a few lines, while another actor wore the mask and performed the onscreen action.

“I love being part of that whole myth, of that whole cult,” he remarked, also expressing his pleasure to satisfy fans who wanted him to repeat his “I am your father” line to Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker.

James Earl Jones Oscar

On Monday, alongside a sad heart emoji, Hamill commented on X, “#RIP dad,” under a news article about Jones’s passing.

Jones claimed he earned barely $9,000 for the original film’s Darth Vader role and treated it as nothing more than a special effects gig. In fact, he never even asked to be named in the credits of the first “Star Wars” films.

On Broadway, he won Tonys for “The Great White Hope” in 1969 and “Fences” in 1987, and in 1991, he won Emmys for “Gabriel’s Fire” and “Heat Wave” on television. His collection of accolades is extensive. Grammys for best spoken word album and “Great American Documents” were both bestowed upon him in 1977.

Although he never took home an actual Oscar, he did receive an honorary nomination for his performance in 2011’s “The Great White Hope” and was considered for best actor in the film adaptation.

One of his earliest film roles James Earl Jones was as Lieutenant Luther Zogg in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 masterpiece “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”

Among his subsequent critically lauded film performances were those of South African Reverend Stephen Kumalo in 1995’s “Cry, the Beloved Country” and novelist Terence Mann in 1989’s “Field of Dreams.” He has been in numerous films, including “Field of Dreams,” “The Sandlot,” “Matewan,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Conan the Barbarian,” “Coming to America,” and so on.

In addition to his appearances in scores of ads, Jones provided the authoritative voice-over for CNN’s newscast introductions for a number of years.

Irish, African, and Cherokee ancestry

A member of a mixed-race family sprung from Irish, African, and Cherokee ancestry, James Earl Jones came into this world on January 17, 1931, in the little Mississippi town of Arkabutla.

Not long after that, Robert Earl Jones Sr., who had been a prizefighter and was now an actor, abandoned the family. It wasn’t until James relocated to New York in the 1950s that he was able to reconcile with his father, as his maternal grandparents had forbidden him to see him while he was growing up. In due time, they shared the stage in other productions.

When Jones’s grandparents uprooted the family from Mississippi and settled on a farm in Michigan when he was around five years old, he began to stutter and eventually stopped speaking altogether.

His high school English teacher used a trick to get him to speak up after he remained mute for ten years. Jones claimed to have written a poem, which the teacher then had him repeat to the class as evidence that he was the real author.

Jones got over his stammer and developed an interest in acting, but he later admitted that he still had to be careful with his words.

Moving to New York after completing his drama degree at Michigan, he began to receive more and more praise for his stage performances.

He played the role of Black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope,” his breakout Broadway performance. Reviewers gushed over Jones’s portrayal of the racist boxer in the critically acclaimed play.

His starring performances as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello in Shakespeare’s plays kept audiences captivated for decades. Paul Robeson, a singer, actor, and activist, was one of his memorable 1977 Broadway roles, and he played Alex Haley, an author, in the TV miniseries “Roots: The Next Generation.”

According to a 1987 review of “Fences” in the Washington Post, he could “move in seconds from boyish ingenuousness to near-biblical rage and somehow suggesting all the gradations in between.”

One of Jones’s co-stars in “Othello,” Julienne Marie Hendricks, was his first wife. Flynn Earl Jones was born to Earl and his second wife, the late actress Cecilia Hart. Cecilia passed away in 2016.

Jones won major roles in politically charged films and plays, paving the way for other Black actors to follow in his footsteps.

Jones rose to prominence during the height of the civil rights movement in the ’60s and ’70s, but he avoided taking a stand on racial issues.

Jones told the Toronto Star in 2013 that he thought many people thought he was weak for not being a stronger advocate for the cause while he was famous. According to the actor, though, he would rather have his work speak for itself.

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Julian Ortega, Actor In Netflix’s ‘Elite’ Series, Dies Aged 41

Washington – Pras, On Friday, a court denied a request for a fresh trial in a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy lawsuit against Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly determined that his defensedefense attorney’s employment of a generative AI software during closing arguments and other errors made throughout the Washington, D.C. trial did not constitute a substantial miscarriage of justice.

Judge Rejects Claims That Generative AI Tanked Political Conspiracy Case Against Fugees Rapper Pras

Michel was found guilty of ten counts after a jury heard testimony from witnesses, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. On the most serious charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison. He is free until sentencing, which has yet to be decided.

The Grammy-winning rapper was accused of funneling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financier through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, then attempting to deter a Justice Department investigation and influence an extradition case on behalf of China during the Trump administration.

The defense said Michel received lousy advice as he attempted to support himself while recreating himself in politics.

His defense attorney, David Kenner, who has previously represented rappers like Suge Knight and Snoop Dogg, pleaded guilty to leaking grand jury evidence to reporters.

Michel hired a new lawyer, who claimed Kenner had made several errors, including deploying an “experimental” generative AI software that botched closing arguments by misattributing a lyric from his client’s influential 1990s group.

Judge Rejects Claims That Generative AI Tanked Political Conspiracy Case Against Fugees Rapper Pras

Michel, however, failed to prove that Kenner’s handling of the case influenced the jury, according to Judge Kollar-Kotelly.

She accepted that some of Michel’s faults were valid, but they did not neutralise the prosecution’s extensive evidence against him or render the nearly month-long trial unfair.

Michel’s representative had no immediate comment on the ruling.

SOURCE | AP

Julian Ortega, a Spanish actor best known for his role in the popular Spanish-language Netflix drama series “Elite,” has died, according to the country’s actor and actress union. He was 41.

“Our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” the union said in a statement Monday.

Julian Ortega, Actor In Netflix’s ‘Elite’ Series, Dies Aged 41

Ortega, the son of Spanish actress Gloria Muñoz, was born in Madrid in 1983. According to the organization, he attended acting school in the Spanish capital.

He began his career in Spanish-language films, including the 2000 drama “El Otro Barrio” (“The Other Side”) and the 2008 horror fantasy “La raíz del mal.”

He appeared in various Spanish television programs before becoming well-known internationally after appearing in six episodes of Netflix’s Elite.

Ortega played a restaurant manager in the murder-mystery-infused high school thriller, which follows privileged pupils at a prestigious school.

His most recent performances were in drama programs like “The Countryside” (formerly called “El Pueblo”) and “4 estrellas.”

“You were a great man; humble, always smiling, generous, and thoughtful…” I have a great colleague. “Thank you for everything,” wrote his “Countryside” co-star Ruth Diaz in an Instagram post.

“It’s been great to share those months on El Pueblo and get to know you better. “You’ve left too soon,” she added.

Julian Ortega, Actor In Netflix’s ‘Elite’ Series, Dies Aged 41

According to the Spanish Theatre in Madrid, Ortega has worked on theatre ventures, including the 2021 play “Ira,” which he created and co-starred in with his mother.

The reason for the death has not been officially confirmed.

SOURCE | AP