James Earl Jones, legendary actor known for unmistakable baritone voice, dies at 93

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James Earl Jones, whose prodigious acting talent was often overshadowed by his distinctive baritone over a seven-decade career that spanned stage and screen, died Monday, his representative said. He was 93.


A contemporary of Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, Jones didn’t land the same coveted leading roles at a time when there were few to go around for Black actors in Hollywood, but he earned unmatched longevity as a character actor, from his first movie credit in 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove” to his reprisal of his role as King Joffer in the 2021 sequel to “Coming to America.”

“James Earl Jones doesn’t get enough credit for being a path-blazer for actors like Denzel Washington who came after him,” said Rae Dawn Chong, his co-star in the 1986 comedy “Soul Man.”

 
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