James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader, dies at the age of 93

American actor James Earl Jones, best known as the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died at the age of 93.

He died early Monday morning surrounded by his family, said agent Barry McPherson.

Jones has appeared in dozens of films, including Field of Dreams, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian and The Lion King. He is best known for providing the distinctive, gravelly voice of Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader.

Mark Hamill, who played Vader's son Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars,” posted “RIP Dad” with a broken heart emoji as he shared a message about his father's death.

Over the course of his career, Jones has won three Tony Awards, including two Emmys and a Grammy, as well as an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2011.

In 1971, he was only the second black man, after Sidney Poitier, to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

Star Trek actor LeVar Burton was one of the first to pay tribute to Jones, saying, “Such a special combination of grace will never be seen again.”

US actor Colman Domingo also paid tribute to him and wrote: “Thank you, dear James Earl Jones, for everything. A master of our craft. We stand on your shoulders. Now rest. You gave us your best.”

Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Jones in Field of Dreams, said: “That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he exuded. There's so much to say about his legacy, so I'll just say how grateful I am that Field of Dreams is a part of it.”

Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote that Jones' “voice and talent will be remembered forever” and that “legendary” does not even begin to describe his iconic roles and lasting influence on cinema.”

Crystal Minkoff, wife of Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff, posted a photo of Jones holding a Mufasa statue along with the words, “Rest in peace Mr. Jones. You made a young animator's dream come true when you accepted the role of Mufasa.”

“Thank you for everything you did for Rob. Your memory will live on.”

Jones was also the voice of the US broadcaster CNN’s slogan “This is CNN”.

“He was the voice of CNN and our brand for decades, and his language conveyed instant authority, grace and decency in a unique way,” the broadcaster told The Hollywood Reporter.

“That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James.”

Born in Mississippi in January 1931, Jones said he was unable to speak for most of his childhood due to his stutter.

He explained that he developed his famous voice while working to deal with a stutter.

Jones is best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the original 1977 film “Star Wars” and its sequels “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”

He reprised the role in later films, including the first part of the Star Wars anthology series “Rogue One” and the third part of the sequel trilogy “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” – both released in the late 2010s.

Another actor always slipped into the Darth Vader costume and provided the movement of the famous villain, including the late David Prowsewith Jones contributing his deep and instantly recognizable voice.

“I love being part of this whole myth, this whole cult,” Jones said in a 2012 interview with BBC HardTalk, adding that he was happy to oblige his fans to recite his line, “I am your father.”

Jones said he never made much money playing Darth Vader – just $9,000 (£6,884) for the first film – and he viewed it as merely a special effects job.

At his own insistence, he received no credit for his performance, believing it was just another “special effect.”

When the films broke all box office records, he was convinced to change his mind.

Jones also made a name for himself as a television actor, playing the older Alex Hailey in “Roots: The Next Generation” and winning one of his two Emmys for the lead role in the US drama “Gabriel's Fire.”

His gravelly voice was used in The Simpsons and he appeared in early episodes of Sesame Street.

Jones also portrayed many famous Shakespeare characters on stage, including Othello and King Lear.