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James Earl Jones<\/strong>, best known for his roles in Field of Dreams<\/em>, The Lion King<\/em>, Star Wars<\/em>, and more, has died at the age of 93, as announced on Monday. A cause of death was not immediately released.<\/p>\n Over the past decade, Jones became an advocate for diabetics, first publicly confirming in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s everything to know about the late actor\u2019s long-term battle with the disease.<\/p>\n Jones has been open about his struggle with type 2 diabetes since revealing in a 2016 interview that he was diagnosed in the mid-1990s while attending a program for diet and exercise.<\/p>\n \u201cI was lucky that it was discovered quite by accident,\u201d Jones shared.<\/p>\n He explained, \u201cI fell asleep one day while sitting on a bench in a gymnasium, and a doctor who happened to be there saw me and said, \u2018That isn\u2019t normal<\/em>.’\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, he has spoken out about his journey with the illness, advocating for diabetes awareness and emphasizing the importance of managing the condition.<\/p>\n Although he once admitted that with diabetes, \u201cThere were tough changes,\u201d such as giving up his favorite strawberry shortcake, Jones felt fortunate for the support and resources available to him\u2014from the doctor at the gym who first suggested he get tested to his immediate family who helped keep him \u201cin line.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI realized when I was diagnosed with diabetes, my whole family became diabetics. Not that they suffer the same things that I do, but they understand, and we have to work as a family in living with diabetes,\u201d he explained. \u201cThey became my support group,\u201d he continued, adding, \u201cas well as my doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had a doctor who suggested I try Invokana, and I\u2019ve found it very helpful in balancing my blood sugar. I feel fortunate that anyone who has that kind of assistance can really start to love their numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time of the interview, he announced his collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals to promote their type 2 diabetes medication, Invokana, which he had been using for several years. Invokana, known as the \u201cpee drug,\u201d works by eliminating excess glucose through urine.<\/p>\n Jones shared that, although his mother and other family members had also been diagnosed with diabetes and acknowledged that certain ethnic groups are at more risk, he knew little about the disease before his own diagnosis.<\/p>\n Reflecting on what he learned about his health, Jones said, \u201cIt comes down to being in tune with your body, and I\u2019m sure the body tells us things long before we\u2019re aware of what\u2019s happening. Since then, it\u2019s become my job to be more aware of what my body is telling me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In recent years, speculation about Jones\u2019 health, particularly rumors of a cancer diagnosis, circulated in the media. These rumors may have arisen from his reduced public appearances, especially after the passing of his wife, Cecilia Hart<\/strong>, in 2016 from ovarian cancer. However, there has been no confirmed evidence that Jones was ever diagnosed with cancer.<\/p>\n Regarding his reduced presence in the limelight, Jones explained his shift in focus from work to advocacy.<\/p>\n \u201cI love working. I\u2019ve had the chance to play some very interesting roles in my career, but I find that living with type 2 diabetes is one of the most challenging roles I\u2019ve ever had. That\u2019s what I am ready to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\nWhen Was Jones Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes?<\/h2>\n
How Did He Manage the Condition?<\/h2>\n
Was He Diagnosed with Any Other Conditions?<\/h2>\n