One of James Earl Jones’ last public appearances cemented his place in the pantheon of Hollywood legends.
The late “Star Wars” star was honored on July 10, 2019, during a special ceremony where he had his handprints and signature cast in cement as part of his induction into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame.
The ceremony took place in Pawling, New York, where Jones lived until his death on Monday, September 9. Jones’ inauguration coincided with Disney’s annual D23 Expo, a Comic-Con-style event that the company describes as three full days of “inside the magic” experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
Jones was unable to attend the Expo in Anaheim, California, but was instead honored at a small ceremony near his home in New York.
Disney CEO Bob Iger presented a recorded video at the conference that Jones had sent to D23 attendees.
“Hello Disney fans! Sorry I can’t be with you today,” Jones said. “I have had the great honor of working with Disney several times over the years and it is a great honor to be inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame.”
He added: “Thank you and may the force be with you.”
Jones has appeared in a number of iconic Disney projects throughout his long career, most notably providing the voice of the character Mufasa in both the original animated film The Lion King (1993) and its 2019 live-action remake.
He also hosted “Fantasia/2000,” narrated the nature documentary “Earth,” and of course lent his voice to Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” series. Lucasfilm, which produces all “Star Wars” films and television series, is owned by Disney.
Disney Legends began in 1987 and honors “individuals who have made significant contributions to the company” by having honorees engrave their signatures and handprints in cement and then place them on bronze plaques.
Since 1998, these plaques have been displayed at the Disney Legends Plaza at Walt Disney Studios.
A few years after being named a Disney Legend, Jones received another incredible honor when Broadway’s Cort Theater was renamed after him. Jones made his Broadway debut at the Cort in 1958 in “Sunrise at Campobello.”
Although Jones did not attend the public renaming ceremony on September 12, 2022, he was given a private tour of the theater that now bears his name a few days earlier.
After news of Jones’ death broke, countless fans shared their grief online, including his son Mark Hammil, who played Luke Skywalker in the legendary science fiction films.
“#RIP dad,” the actor wrote on X.
Jones’ “Field of Dreams” co-star Kevin Costner also paid tribute to the icon in a social media post.
“That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness he exuded. There’s so much to say about his legacy, so I’ll just say how grateful I am that Field of Dreams is a part of it,” Costner captioned a series of photos of the couple in the 1989 film.
In addition to all his other awards and achievements, Jones earned the coveted EGOT, won two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, a Spoken Word Grammy Award in 1977, three Tony Awards, and an Honorary Oscar in 2011.
