The world is mourning James Earl Jones, but no one more than his co-stars who loved him all the time, like Mark Hamill.
Star Wars forever cemented Mark and James in film history as they witnessed one of the biggest twists in cinematic history together on screen.
After news of James’ death broke, Mark was one of the first to issue a statement mourning him, not just for himself but for the world.
James Earl Jones dies at 93
James Earl Jones, a prolific actor in film, television and theater, died on September 9 after facing a triple threat. His representative confirmed that he was surrounded by family members at his home in Dutchess County, New York. type, when he passed by.
The cause of his death is unclear, but it came nearly five years after James retired from Hollywood. His final film role was alongside Eddie Murphy in the long-awaited sequel Coming 2 America.
In fact, he spent his later years mostly reprising roles, making him a Hollywood icon. When Disney decided to make a CGI live-action remake of The Lion King, no one except James was asked to reprise their roles. He returns once again to voice the character of Mufasa.
He has since voiced the iconic villain Darth Vader again and again for countless years, after first portraying the character in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope.
But his scene in The Empire Strikes Back will always be remembered.
Mark Hamill pays tribute to ‘father’ James Earl Jones
The EGOT winner leaves behind two sons: his biological son Flynn Earl Jones and his film son Mark Hamill.
Mark played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy opposite Jones’ Vader, and in The Empire Strikes Back it was revealed that his young Jedi character was actually a Sith Lord son.
“Luke, I’m your father,” perfectly delivered in James’s signature baritone, remains one of the most quoted lines in film history.
To that end, upon hearing the news of James’ passing, Mark quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to his long-time partner.
#RIP dad? https://t.co/YXpFoBb2Ua
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) September 9, 2024
Another fallen Star Wars star
Sadly, Mark had to say goodbye to many of his costars from the original Star Wars films.
Most notably, beloved actress Carrie Fisher, who played Luke’s sister Leia, died in December 2016 at the age of 60. Unfortunately, she was about to begin filming her final “Star Wars” movie, “The Rise of Skywalker,” before her death.
Soon after, Peter Mayhew died in 2019 at the age of 74. While he’s not in the latest film trilogy, he is a consultant on the film, training the next generation.
Finally, Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, the armor-clad bounty hunter in Star Wars, passed away in December 2020 due to health complications.
