The Two Great Loves: Who Was James Earl Jones' Spouse And Why His Final Marriage Lasted 34 Years

James Earl Jones, the legendary actor whose commanding voice defined iconic characters like Darth Vader and Mufasa, was a man who experienced both the brevity and the enduring depth of marriage. As of the current date, December 2025, the celebrated performer is a widower, having lost his second wife, actress Cecilia Hart, in 2016. His personal life, much like his career, spanned decades and involved two distinct relationships, each with its own unique history and profound impact on his life.

The public often focuses on his monumental 60-year career, but the women who stood by him—first Julienne Marie, and then Cecilia Hart—played critical roles in his journey, providing stability and family. His final marriage to Cecilia Hart became one of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories, lasting over three decades until her passing.

James Earl Jones: A Complete Biographical Profile

To fully appreciate the context of his marriages, a look at James Earl Jones's life and career is essential. The actor, known for his deep, resonant voice, had a career that spanned Broadway, film, and television.

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• Full Name: James Earl Jones
• Date of Birth: January 17, 1931
• Place of Birth: Arkabutla, Mississippi, U.S.
• Parents: Ruth Connolly (mother) and Robert Earl Jones (father, a boxer and actor)
• Childhood Note: Jones was raised by his maternal grandparents on a farm in Michigan after his father left the family. He developed a severe stutter in childhood, which he overcame in high school through poetry and public speaking.
• Education: Graduated from the University of Michigan (Drama) and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
• Career Highlights:
  • Broadway Debut: 1957.
  • Breakthrough Role: Jack Johnson in the play The Great White Hope (1968), winning a Tony Award.
  • Iconic Voice Roles: Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise (beginning 1977) and Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King (1994).
  • EGOT Status: Jones is one of the few performers to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar (Honorary), and a Tony Award (Competitive and Special).
• Spouses:
  1. Julienne Marie (m. 1968; div. 1972)
  2. Cecilia Hart (m. 1982; d. 2016)
• Child: Flynn Earl Jones (Son, with Cecilia Hart)
• Recent News: Announced his retirement from voicing Darth Vader in 2022, signing over the rights to his archival voice recordings to be recreated using AI technology.

The First Marriage: Julienne Marie and the Brief Union

James Earl Jones’s first journey into matrimony was with the accomplished actress and singer Julienne Marie. Their relationship was rooted in their shared passion for the stage, beginning in the mid-1960s.

Jones and Marie first met in 1964 while both were starring in a stage production of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello. Jones played the title role of Othello, and Marie played the role of Desdemona. Their professional collaboration blossomed into a personal one, and they married in 1968.

Julienne Marie was a respected Broadway performer in her own right, having earned Tony Award nominations for her roles in musicals like Whoop-Up and Foxy. Despite their shared artistic background and mutual respect, the marriage was short-lived.

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The couple divorced in 1972 after four years of marriage, and they did not have any children together. While the reasons for the separation were kept private, it marked a quiet chapter in Jones’s personal life before he found his lifelong partner a decade later.

The Enduring Love Story: Cecilia Hart and the 34-Year Partnership

James Earl Jones’s second and final marriage to actress Cecilia Hart defined his later personal life. Their relationship was a testament to enduring love and shared professional respect within the often turbulent world of show business.

They first crossed paths on the set of the short-lived CBS police drama, Paris, where Hart played the role of Stacey Erickson. The spark that ignited on the television set was rekindled on the stage, much like his first marriage. In 1982, Jones and Hart starred opposite each other in a Broadway revival of Othello, the same play that introduced him to his first wife.

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The couple married in March 1982 in a private ceremony held at the United Nations chapel in New York City. The year 1982 proved to be a pivotal one for the couple, as they welcomed their only child, a son named Flynn Earl Jones. Jones later revealed in a 2012 interview that their son was conceived on their wedding night, a touching detail that underscored the immediate closeness of their union.

Cecilia Hart: A Broadway and Television Talent

Cecilia Hart was an accomplished actress who maintained her own successful career alongside her famous husband. While she had notable television roles, her heart belonged to the theater, where she was a respected presence. She appeared on Broadway in several productions, including the American premiere of Tom Stoppard's play, Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land.

Throughout their 34 years together, Jones and Hart made a conscious effort to keep their family life private, shielding their son Flynn Earl Jones from the intense media spotlight. Flynn, despite his celebrity parentage, has maintained a low profile throughout his adult life.

Life as a Widower and the Legacy of Love

The long-standing marriage between James Earl Jones and Cecilia Hart came to a tragic end in October 2016. Cecilia Hart passed away at the age of 68 after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer.

Her death left James Earl Jones a widower, and he continued to honor her memory publicly. The following year, at the 2017 Tony Awards, Jones gave a touching tribute to his late wife when accepting an award, acknowledging her profound impact on his life and career.

In the years following her death, Jones continued his iconic voice work, though he eventually stepped back from one of his most famous roles. In 2022, Jones, at the age of 91, officially retired from voicing the character Darth Vader. In a move that made international headlines, he signed over the rights to his archival voice recordings to Lucasfilm, allowing his distinctive sound to be recreated using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

This decision, a final act in a legendary career that has since concluded with his passing in 2024, ensures that the voice loved by millions will live on through technology, much like the memory of his two great loves lives on through his family and the stories of their enduring partnerships.

The legacy of James Earl Jones is not just defined by his powerful performances in Star Wars or The Lion King, but by the quiet dignity and depth of his personal relationships. His life with Cecilia Hart, which spanned over three decades and produced his only son, remains a powerful example of a lasting, loving partnership in the world of entertainment.