On Monday, news broke about the death of legendary actor James Earl Jones, known for being the voice of both Darth Vader from “Star Wars” and Mufasa from “The Lion King.” Of course, there are several other roles he played that also left an indelible mark on popular culture. One of those roles was from the film “Field of Dreams” where he co-starred along side Kevin Costner.
Costner, who is 69, has come out and given a tribute to his dear friend and co-star after learning about Jones’ death at the age of 93. The tribute was posted on social media, according to the New York Post.
“Just hearing the news of James Earl Jones’s passing,” Costner said at the start of his post on Instagram. “That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams.”
The actor then shined a spotlight on Jones’ talent as an actor by saying, “If you’ve seen it, you know that this movie wouldn’t be the same with anyone else in his role. Only he could bring that kind of magic to a movie about baseball and a corn field in Iowa. I’m grateful to have been a witness to him making that magic happen.”
The post concluded with Costner sending a message to Jones that said, “Rest in peace, friend.”
Jones, famous for being the voice of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader and Mufasa in Disney’s animated hit “The Lion King,” died at his Dutchess County, NY, home on Monday. His representative confirmed his death with Deadline. During his lifetime, he was the recipient of many awards, scoring the rare EGOT honor with an asterisk. Jones won Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards (including the Tony for Lifetime Achievement in 2017) and earned an honorary Oscar in 2011.
He co-starred in the 1989 movie as Terence Mann, a controversial author and activist. In the story, a fellow parent at the local PTA tried to ban Mann’s books, while Ray’s wife, Annie (Amy Madigan), defended his literary. After Ray and Annie both dream about Mann, they go find the former author, now a recluse. Ray gets Mann to agree to attend a game, and he soon embarks on a road trip with Ray.
As the film progresses, Ray is pressured to sell the farm, but Mann tells him that “people will come” to see baseball games and revisit the memories they made during childhood. In reality, it’s not a film solely about baseball, though that’s the catalyst for the whole story. It’s really about fathers and sons, about regrets and making amends with those we love before its too late to do so.
James Earl Jones, in his role as Mann, delivers an epic speech in the movie that really helps to drive that point home. It’s honestly one of the best written pieces of dialogue in a film ever and it has become a part of popular culture.
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Let’s pray for the loved ones Jones leaves behind, which includes all of his fans, as they grieve his loss.