Mark Hamill's 'tearful' tribute to James Earl Jones leaves Star Wars fans 'heartbroken'

Mark Hamill led the memorial service for his Star Wars co-star James Earl Jones with a simple two-word message to the legendary actor, who died at the age of 93.

Jones was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the mid-1990s, a fact he made public in 2016, but the cause of death was not officially announced. The actor was best known for voicing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy between 1977 and 1983, but had played the character more than a dozen times, most recently in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Jones was not only known for Star Wars and his outstanding career was also celebrated for his performances as Mufasa in The Lion Kingas well as his live-action roles in films such as Field of Dreams, Coming to America And Conan the Barbarian.

LeVar Burton, Octavia Spencer and Wendell Pierce were among the celebrities who paid tribute to Jones, but Hamill’s touching words particularly touched Star Wars fans.

Hamill, who played Vader’s son Luke Skywalker in the series, shared diversity story about Jones’ death and responded, “RIP, Dad.”

Mark Hamill's tribute to James Earl Jones on X/Twitter — Mark Hamill’s tribute to James Earl Jones on X/Twitter (Mark Hamill/X/Twitter)

Hamill, 72, posted a slightly longer tribute on Instagram, writing: “One of the finest actors in the world whose contribution to Star Wars was immeasurable. He will be greatly missed #RIP Dad.”

Hamill has called Jones “Papa” on social media over the years, especially when wishing him a happy birthday. Hamill has also used this nickname for other actors who have played Darth Vader, including David Prowse, Hayden Christensen, Jake Lloyd and Sebastian Shaw.

Mark Hamill wishes James Earl Jones a happy birthday on X/Twitter (Mark Hamill/X/Twitter)

Not surprisingly, Hamill’s tribute deeply touched the Star Wars community, with many thanking him and sharing their own grief at the news of Jones’ death.

One fan wrote: “This breaks my heart. This hurts. He lived an incredible life and gave us all the voice of one of the most iconic characters for generations to come.”

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Another said: “As if I didn’t already cry over James Earl’s death, now I see what Mark Hamill tweeted about him.”

A third added: “Damn. This got my 10 year old self.”

And a fourth declared: “Cheers to everyone over 35 crying. Well done.”

Elsewhere, Star Wars creator George Lucas said in a statement: “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret of all of it is that he was a wonderful human being. He brought depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, among the most important being the devoted husband of the late Ceci and father of Flynn.

“James will be missed by so many of us… friends and fans alike.”

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, described Jones as “one of the most versatile and talented actors of our time with an iconic body of work in film, stage and television.”