James Earl Jones will have a landmark Broadway theater named after him

Renowned stage, theater, and TV actor James Earl Jones will soon have a landmark theater on Broadway named after him.

Th Shubert Organization, a major theater proprietor based in Manhattan, announced Wednesday that Cort Theatre, the 110-year-old institution located on West 48th Street, will be renamed James Earl Jones Theatre in recognition of Jones' "lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community."

"The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James — an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community — forever in Broadway's lights," Robert E. Wankel, CEO and board chair at Shubert, said in a statement. "That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question."

"For me standing in this very building 64 years ago at the start of my Broadway career, it would have been inconceivable that my name would be on the building today," Jones added in his own statement. "Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration for all aspiring actors."

The James Earl Jones Theatre will be the second Broadway theater named after a Black artist, per The New York Times. The August Wilson Theatre, formerly Virginia Theatre, was renamed for the acclaimed playwright by Jujamcyn Theaters following his death in 2005. Shubert's renaming comes after the organization pledged diversity changes with advocacy organization Black Theater United last summer amidst the Black Lives Matter movement.

The theater formerly known as the Cort has been undergoing extensive renovations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's expected to reopen later this summer, where a formal dedication ceremony will be held to honor Jones.

A two-time Tony Award winner, Jones has appeared in over 20 Broadway productions, 14 of which at Shubert-owned theaters, including Cort Theatre. Recently, he starred in the 2015 Broadway revival of Donald L. Coburn's The Gin Game at the Shubert-owned John Golden Theatre. His film roles include Star Wars, Coming to America, and The Lion King, among dozens of others, while his TV credits include L.A. Law, Gabriel's Fire, Frasier, House, M.D., and Star Wars Rebels.

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