Late actor James Earl Jones welcomed his only 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, son Flynn, in 1982

James Earl Jones, wife Cecilia Hart and son Flynn Earl Jones pose backstage on closing night of the hit play “Driving Miss Daisy” on Broadway at The Golden Theater on April 9, 2011 in New York City. Photo: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

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.

He was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in 1982 shortly after his parents wedRobin Platzer/Getty

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.

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.

He made his acting debut before he was even 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧NY Daily News/Getty

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.

He is following in his father’s footstepsJon Furniss/WireImage

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.

He stays out of the spotlightGilbert Carrasquillo/Getty

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