All the ‘Star Wars’ fans would, without fail, know the legend behind the villain, Darth Vader. We aren’t talking about the face behind the mask or the brain behind the idea. Rather, the beautiful, sonorous tones we have all come to associate with the name. Yes, James Earl Jones, the man who immortalized the ‘Star Wars’ villain with his powerful voice, is no more. From making $19 a month in a diner to stopping talking altogether because he stuttered to Broadway and Hollywood stardom, life was topsy-turvy for the farm child.

As per his representatives, Jones died at his home in Duchess County at the age of 93. Needless to say, the entire world came together to mourn the passing of an icon. And Draymond Green as well as Chris Paul were part of the multitude who paid their respects.

CP3 shared a post by the ‘American Black Film Festival’ on Instagram in his story. He didn’t add anything, but then again, he didn’t need to. The post itself said everything. “From Darth Vader in Star Wars to Mufasa in The Lion King, his voice and talent made an unforgettable impact on generations. His legacy will continue to inspire. Rest in peace, Mr. Jones,” it read. ABFF couldn’t have described it better. Jones’ voice and sheer talent truly made a huge impact.

But did he set out for a Broadway career? Or, more importantly, did he always have this deep, rich voice? In his own words, “The answer is no.” In a 1986 interview, the 2x Primetime Emmy recipient admitted that he was mute from Grade 1 to freshman year in high school because he “gave up on talking.“ However, his curiosity and the need to express himself led to overcoming his stutter and ultimately a Hall of Fame career.

As for Green, he re-shared another post, adding two crying emojis in the caption. The post in itself kept it simple, with two photos of the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) achiever.

‘NBA Cobwebs,’ an X page dedicated to the NBA history, also shared a clip from the 1996 biographical sports drama, ‘Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault,‘ with the caption, “Rest in Peace, James Earl Jones.”

Aside from them, Mark Hamill, who played Vader’s son Luke Skywalker, posted an emotional caption, “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to ‘Star Wars’ were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed. #RIP dad,” followed by a heartbroken emoji as he shared the news.

Joining in with one of the first tributes was Star Trek actor LeVar Burton. “James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces.”

Although Jones is more famous for his Darth Vader voice, did you know that he wasn’t the first choice?

Who else, if not James Earl Jones?

Surprisingly, the original choice was a British bodybuilder, David Prowse, courtesy of his imposing physique, who was cast in the first film (1977). However, Director George Lucas didn’t find Prowse’s prominent West Country accent appealing. While not a major name at the time, Jones had already made a name for himself on stage and screen with appearances in classics like Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

However, per the man himself, Lucas’ next choice was the multi-hyphenate Orson Welles. “The rumor is that he thought of Orson Welles. And then probably thought that Orson might be too recognizable, so what he ends up picking is a voice that was born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, and was a stutterer. And, that happened to be my voice.” (credit: starwars.com)

Of course, right now, we cannot imagine anyone else delivering the iconic and arguably one of the most famous lines in movie history, “No, I am your father!” other than James Earl Jones. Director Lucas might have stumbled upon Jones, but it was the best kind.

And if you thought that it marked the end of Jones’ voice, don’t worry. A few years ago, when the 2x Tony Award winner made his wishes to retire as the Sith Lord known, Lucasfilm was faced with a dilemma. They wanted to continue to use his commanding voice, or at least a version of his character’s voice, for future use. Jones gave permission and, with the help of a Ukrainian company called Respeecher, used AI to recreate the Darth Vader voice based on his past performances.

The first installment of the same was in the mini-series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. And for any future application, Lucasfilm can now turn to the AI version of Jones’ Vader. Just like that, his voice has been immortalized! Because who else, if not Jones?