Late actor James Earl Jones may have had one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood, but he was also a proud dad.
The voice of Star Wars' Darth Vader and The Lion King's Mufasa, who died on Sept. 9, had one son, Flynn Earl Jones. The actor welcomed Flynn in 1982 with his wife of 34 years, actress Cecilia Hart.
Jones' own father left home shortly after he was born to pursue a career as a boxer and an actor, and they were not close until the 1950s when they reconciled. Growing up, Jones had a stutter so severe, he refused to speak in school. However, he found his voice through poetry and books and eventually overcame his stutter. Jones then lent his voice to hundreds of movies and TV series, becoming a renowned actor both on the screen and on the stage.
The EGOT winner's son Flynn appears to have a knack for voice work as well, though he prefers to stay out of the spotlight and leads a relatively private life.
Keep reading for everything to know about James Earl Jones' son, Flynn Earl Jones.
He was born in 1982 shortly after his parents wed
Jones and his second wife, Cecilia Hart, got married in 1982 after meeting on the set of the short-lived television series Paris. Their only child, Flynn, was born the same year.
Both of his parents are actors
Flynn's parents are both actors with iconic careers in their own right. Hart worked in both television and on Broadway, with her stage credits including the revivals of The Heiress (1976) and Design for Living (1984), as well as the premiere production of Tom Stoppard's 1977 play Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. On screen, she was best known for her role in Paris, but also guest starred on episodes of Three's Company, Quincy M.E., Charles in Charge, MacGyver and Law & Order.
Jones got his start on Broadway in 1957, starring in productions of Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Great White Hope. He began acting on screen and doing voice work for Star Wars and other major films in the '70s, launching him to stardom. After a nearly 70-year career, he starred in over 20 Broadway shows and became an EGOT (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner. He also received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor and was lauded as one of the most versatile performers of all time.
In 2022, the Shubert Organization announced that the 110-year-old Cort Theatre in New York City would be renamed after Jones in celebration of his contributions to Broadway and the entertainment community.
He made his acting debut before he was even born
Jones and Hart acted opposite one another in a revival of William Shakespeare's Othello in 1982 — the same year their son was born — with Jones playing Othello and Hart playing Desdemona.
Jones previously noted that his wife was pregnant during the play's run, meaning Flynn made his stage debut alongside his mother before he was even born.
His wife is also in the industry
Flynn married his wife, Lorena Monagas, in November 2019. Monagas is also an actor, with a large repertoire of work in her portfolio. According to her website, Monagas has an MFA from The Academy for Classical Acting at the Shakespeare Theatre and George Washington University, as well as a BFA in graphic design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
She has trained at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts; The William Esper Studio and The Barrow Group in New York City; and Casa Cruz de la Luna in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
He is following in his father's footsteps
Flynn's father had many iconic voice acting roles, including that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series, which he voiced in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi. He returned to voice the role in the 2022 Disney+ limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Flynn has narrated several audiobooks on the platform Audible, including the titles Heartthrob, Frozen Earth, Revenge, New Worlds and more.
His mom died in 2016 and his dad died in 2024
Hart died at age 68 in October 2016 from ovarian cancer when Flynn was about 34 years old. The following year, Jones was honored with the Tony Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to his late wife and gave his son a sweet nod.
"I want to thank my wife Ceci for being such a wonderful companion in my life and in my work," Jones said in a pre-ceremony speech before the show. "And for being the great co-producer of our son Flynn and for being so dazzling on the red carpet."
Eight years later, Jones died in September 2024 at age 93.
He stays out of the spotlight
Despite having famous parents, Flynn does not have any social media profiles and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. During his dad's career, Flynn stepped out to support Jones at several red carpet events.
After a brief break in which he focused on film and television, Jones returned to Broadway in 2010 to star in the play Driving Miss Daisy. Flynn was there with his mom to support Jones at the opening and closing night of the play's U.S. run. The following year, Flynn and Hart attended the play's opening night in London's West End in October 2011. Jones later received his honorary Oscar in front of the crowd at Wyndham's Theatre for his performance.