Hollywood legend, James Earl Jones, has died at the age of 93.
Bang Showbiz reported that Jones died at his home in New York after a long battle with Diabetes.
Oscar-winning James, who also voiced Mustafa in ‘The Lion King’, told in 2018 how the diagnosis had hit him “like a thunderbolt” – adding the “shock” of the condition had made him focus more on the state of his health as he aged.
Jones acted in several Hollywood hit movies, including Coming to America 1 and 2, Field of Dreams and was one of few performers to achieve EGOT status; having received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award, and starred in one of the most profilic films, Cry the Beloved Country, which cemented his icon status.
In an interview, Jones said he had been quietly managing his illness for the last two decades.
I was lucky that it was discovered as it was quite by accident. I was in a centre for weight control and diet, trying to lose some weight and I fell asleep on the bench in the middle of the gymnasium one day.
“The doctor who was there said, ‘That’s not normal’, and he encouraged me to go and get checked out. Then I got a test and there it was, type 2 diabetes. It hit me like a thunderbolt.
“I had to retrain myself to be aware of when my body is telling me something.
“Usually with low blood sugar, it's easy to notice. With high blood sugar, it’s not as easy, and that can be the most dangerous aspect of type 2 diabetes.”
In 1968, James married actress and singer Julienne Marie, who he met while performing as Othello in 1964.
They had no children and divorced in 1972 and 10 years later he married actress Cecilia Hart, with whom he had a son, Flynn.
She died from ovarian cancer on 16 October, 2016.
IOL