James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died last week. He was 93. The honorary Oscar recipient and two-time Tony winner overcame a stutter to stand out in such films as The Great White Hope, The Lion King, Field of Dreams and The Sandlot.

Jones, who burst into national prominence in 1970 with his powerful Oscar-nominated performance as America’s first Black heavyweight champion in The Great White Hope, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, Independent Artist Group announced.

The distinguished star made his big-screen debut in 1964. For his work on the stage, Jones earned two best actor Tony Awards. Jones, the recipient of an honorary Oscar at the 2011 Governors Awards and a special Tony for lifetime achievement in 2017, was one of the handful of people to earn an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony and the first actor to win two Emmys in one year. Jones was also known as the “voice” of CNN.