After 45 years of lending his voice to build one of the most iconic fictional villains in cinematic history, James Earl Jones has retired from voicing Darth Vader for the Star Wars franchise.
Vanity Fair reports that the 91-year-old actor has signed over the rights to his voice to Disney and Lucasfilm so filmmakers, using new AI technology and archival recordings, can continue using his distinctive voice for Darth Vader for years to come.
Earl Jones made his debut as the ultimate Star Wars villain in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, and has voiced the character throughout the franchise on both the big and small screen. The most recent use of his voice was for the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is a fantastic wrap on an incredible franchise career.
Earl Jones’ full career spans six decades and he is one of few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award (EGOT).
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