Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual’s death.
James Earl Jones, best known for his iconic voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars, died on Monday, September 9, at the age of 93. While Jones has left an indelible mark on film and theater, his 34-year marriage to actress Cecilia Hart was also significant.
Jones and Hart first met in the late 1970s on the set of Paris, a short-lived police procedural drama. Steven Bochco created the show, which aired from 1979 to 1980. It was the couple’s first collaboration. Jones played Detective Captain Woody Paris, and Hart portrayed Sergeant Stacey Erickson. Though the show was short-lived, their relationship lasted a lifetime.
At the time, both were previously married. Jones had been married to Julienne Marie Hendricks from 1968 to 1972, while Hart was married to actor Bruce Weitz.
The couple married in 1982, two years after Paris, at the United Nations chapel in New York City. They reunited on stage shortly after their wedding, this time in an Othello production. Their professional collaborations strengthened their bond, and the same year, they welcomed their son, Flynn.
Jones fondly remembered Flynn’s conception on their wedding night. He told The New York Times in 2012, “He was conceived on our wedding night.” Their lives were generally kept out of the spotlight as they lived quietly in Dutchess County, New York. Despite the couple’s decision to keep their personal lives private, they frequently appeared together on the red carpet and during interviews.