Was James Earl Jones married?

James Earl Jones was beloved as Darth Vader’s voice and the memorable Field of Dreams writer Terence Mann, and fans of the actor who, worked in several different genres, are curious about whether he had a spouse before his sad passing at 93 years old.

Jones’s pantheon of characters gave us many great quotes, including Mufasa in The Lion King, and fans always loved getting the chance to hear more about his life whenever he gave interviews. While we look back on his extraordinary career, let’s learn about whether or not he was married.

Was James Earl Jones married before his death?

Jones was married twice. He was married to his first wife Julienne Marie from 1968 to 1972. After they got divorced, Jones and Cecilia Hart got married in 1982. They remained married until her death in 2016 from ovarian cancer. Considering his lovely words about her, it’s easy to assume they would have stayed married even longer… and it’s sad imagining the years he had to spend without his partner.

Fans of Jones (aka everyone) will enjoy hearing about his epic love story with Hart. They were married for 34 years, and had a dream partnership and supported each other’s acting careers. As he told People in 2009, she knew he should star in Field of Dreams and after she read the screenplay, she said, “Here’s a little movie you’ve got to do.” So, we all have Hart to thank for Jones’s role in one of the best movies about sports! While Hart might not have played an iconic role like Darth Vader, she starred in several classic hit TV series, such as Law & Order, MacGuyver, and Three’s Company.

When Hart passed away in 2016, The Hollywood Reporter shared that the couple fell in love because they both starred in the TV series Paris. After meeting in 1979, they got married just a few years later. In 1982, Jones and Hart became parents to their son, Flynn Earl Jones.

It must have been wonderful for Jones and Hart to share the same creative career, since they not only starred in several projects together but likely shared stories, inspired each other, and asked one another for advice. According to Distractify, they acted alongside each other in a production of Othello while they were expecting their son. In a 2012 interview with The New York Times, Jones explained that Flynn “was conceived on our wedding night.” While he might have shared that intimate detail, he didn’t speak about Hart all the time. What he did say, however, was beautiful, and from any interview that he has given, it’s clear they shared a real connection.

According to People, Jones shared how much he loved his wife in his memoir, Voices and Silence, and praised her sense of humor.” He called her “stimulating” and also said, “she did not seem to take me seriously at all, which meant I could relax and be myself with her.”