LOS ANGELES, April 28 — Film and theatre veteran James Earl Jones is set to receive the 2017 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, honouring an iconic career that spans six decades.

The Oscar award-winning actor, who also won two Tonys for his Broadway turns in The Great White Hope in 1969 and Fences in 1987, has been a regular on the New York stage since he made his Broadway debut in 1958’s Sunrise At Campobello.

In addition to his theatre credits — which include a 1973 revival of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh; a 1974 production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men; the 1978 solo play Paul Robeson; and a 1982 Othello — Jones is also well-known for having provided the menacing voice of Darth Vader in the early Star Wars films, as well as the character Mufasa in Disney’s hugely popular animated feature The Lion King.

The 71st Tony Awards, hosted by Kevin Spacey, will air live from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS Television Network on June 11 beginning at 8pm (via The Hollywood Reporter). — AFP-Relaxnews