ToughPigs is saddened to learn that stage and screen icon James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93.
Jones established himself as a titan of theater in stage productions like Sunrise at Campobello, Othello, Fences, and The Great White Hope, the latter of which he would also star in the film adaptation, which proved to be his breakout role. He would also star in such films like The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, and Field of Dreams. But perhaps he was best known by the public for the roles he didn’t appear on-camera for, particularly as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga, Mufasa in The Lion King, and his introduction to CNN. He is one of the few artists to have EGOT status, having won Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards, and presented with an honorary Oscar in 2011. In 2022, Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor.
Among his many credits, Jones also has the distinction of being the first major celebrity to appear on Sesame Street, having appeared in the program’s test pilots back in 1969. Those segments would later be reused throughout the show’s first season. He would return to the show in 1978, appearing as himself, a great movie star, who comes to Sesame Street on the hunt for the perfect egg cream in Episode 1148. A year later, he hosted the tenth anniversary special, A Walking Tour of Sesame Street, and shared his favorite Sesame moments in season 35.
A friend of Sesame Street since the beginning, we are incredibly grateful for the gifts he shared with us.
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by Matthew Soberman – Matthew@ToughPigs.com
