James Earl Jones did not have a leading role in 1993 The sand court, but it made a huge impression – especially on the film’s young stars.

In an interview in 2023 on The Rich Eisen Show, Sandlot Star Patrick Renna remembered Jones, who died on Monday, September 9, at the age of 93, on his only day on set in Utah.

“We all knew him as Darth Vader,” said Renna, now 45. “He was there for a day. He had this huge trailer and was larger than life. He’s the famous James Earl Jones – we’re all speechless and he was so cool.”

Although the entire tween cast was scheduled to film a scene with him, the director changed the script and featured only two of the young stars, Tom Guiry and Mike Vitar (pictured above).

“In one scene he just looked at us and laughed,” Renna said of Jones’ character, the mysterious neighbor Mr. Mertle.

Eventually Marty York (who played Alan ‘Yeah-Yeah’ McClennan) approached him. “None of us had the guts to do it,” Renna said. He said, “Sir, I heard you’re James Earl Jones,” or something like that. “You were Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars.’ And he looked at him and said, ‘No, I am your father.’ And that was it.”

Renna and his co-stars were overwhelmed by the interaction.

“That was the only time we talked to him and it was pretty great. After that I didn’t have to meet him again. It’s good, it’s over,” Renna said. “I’ll never forget it. I still remember that day when I only saw him from a distance.” Field of Dreams had already been released, he has acted in many films and then of course we know him as The Agree.”

Jones had a long career that began in the 1950s and earned him numerous award nominations (and EGOT status) along the way, lending his unique voice to an endless array of iconic roles, including Star Wars’ memorable villain and Mufasa in The Lion King.

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Born in Mississippi in 1931, the actor attended the University of Michigan, where he studied medicine and was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He eventually joined the university’s theater department and graduated in 1955.

Following the news of his death, countless celebrities posted their tributes to the popular star, with his on-screen star Wars Son Mark Hamill simply writes: “#RIP Dad.”