Whoopi Goldberg remembers her “Lion King” costar James Earl Jones as 'one of the greatest'
"The View" star took a moment to tribute Jones during the live show, after the actor died Monday at age 93.
Whoopi Goldberg shared an emotional tribute to her friend and Lion King costar James Earl Jones, shortly after the actor completed the Circle of Life.
Following news that Goldberg's fellow EGOT-winning actor died Monday at age 93, the 68-year-old briefly paused Tuesday's episode of The View to remember the Hollywood icon, whose voice was well known for his work as the honorable lion Mufasa in Disney's animated classic The Lion King and as Darth Vader in the Star Wars series.
"Before we go, we want to send our condolences out to the family of James Earl Jones. He was one of the greatest," Goldberg said before a commercial break on the program, while cohost Joy Behar exclaimed that Jones was "the best" at his craft.
"I got to play with him in The Lion King," Goldberg continued, referencing their voice work as part of the beloved 1994 movie, in which Goldberg played a villainous hyena named Shenzi. "We just wanted to make sure that we didn't lose this opportunity to say we lost another phenomenally great actor."
Related: James Earl Jones' most memorable roles: Field of Dreams, The Lion King, Star Wars, more
A representative for the actor previously told Entertainment Weekly that Jones died at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y., while surrounded by his loved ones in his final moments. The representative also tributed Jones as "a great man and actor."
Goldberg's words about Jones joined a growing number of commemorations from the performer's past collaborators, including Kevin Costner, who worked with Jones on the popular 1989 film Field of Dreams.
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"Just hearing the news of James Earl Jones's passing," Costner wrote on Instagram. "That booming voice. That quiet strength. The kindness that he radiated. So much can be said about his legacy, so I’ll just say how thankful I am that part of it includes Field of Dreams."
Star Wars franchise actor Mark Hamill also remembered Jones on social media, as he wrote "#RIP dad" online in a nod to Vader's relationship to Hamill's Luke Skywalker.
The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.