The Shubert Organization has announced that Cort Theatre on Broadway will be renamed after Academy Award-winner James Earl Jones, “in recognition of Mr Jones’ lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community.”
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The renaming comes after a new deal made it a requirement for the Shubert, Nederlander and Jujamcyn theatre companies to name at least one of their theatres after a Black artist.
James Earl Jones has appeared in multiple Disney projects but is most famous for his voice roles as Mufasa in 1994’s The Lion King, which he would reprise for the 2019 CGI remake and Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
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Jones’s voice has appeared in six Star Wars movies, the infamous Holiday Special, and Star Wars Rebels. Since Hayden Christensen will be returning as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, we hope to see hear James Earl Jones too.
In a statement, Jones said: “For me standing in this very building 64 years ago at the start of my Broadway career, it would have been inconceivable that my name would be on the building today. Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration for all aspiring actors.”
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James Earl Jones has appeared in 21 Broadway productions, including 2 and the now-named James Earl Jones Theatre. He is an EGOT winner, having earned 3 Emmy Awards, 1 Grammy Award, an Honorary OSCAR, and 3 Tony Awards.
Source: HuffPost
