Inside James Earl Jones’ Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

James Earl Jones died earlier this month on the age of 93. The reason for his death stays unknown, and details of his type 2 diabetes diagnosis are emerging.

The EGOT recipient lived with diabetes for a few years before he died on September 9. Jones opened about his late diagnosis of diabetes during a 2016 appearance. He was already over 60 years old when he came upon that he had been affected by a chronic disease for years.

“I fell asleep on a bench in the middle of the gym one day,” Jones explained. “And the doctor who was there said, ‘This isn’t normal,’ and encouraged me to get checked out.”

After visiting the doctor, a laboratory test confirmed that Jones had type 2 diabetes. He admits that the diagnosis was a shock for him and “struck me like a lightning bolt.” he said then. But it ultimately led to an entire lifestyle change for Jones and his entire family.

“When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I realized my whole family had diabetes,” he said. (*2*)

It was a disease that ran in his family, as his mother and several other other members of the family had type 2 diabetes. Jones also knew that some ethnic groups were at greater risk than others.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38.1 million American adults had the disease diabetes in 2021. More than a fifth of those people had undiagnosed diabetes. The highest rates of diagnosed diabetes are amongst American Indian or Alaska Native adults, followed by Black, Latino, and Asian adults, with the bottom rates amongst whites.

Jones was diagnosed with diabetes in his 60s, which is a standard age group for brand new diabetes diagnoses.

“As we age, diabetes and other age-related diseases, such as obesity and abnormal cholesterol levels, become more common,” said Noa Tal, M.D., an endocrinologist on the Center for Pituitary Disorders on the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California.

It is commonly the case that diabetes goes unnoticed before it’s finally diagnosed.

“Unfortunately, (type 2 diabetes) sometimes goes unnoticed,” adds Tal.

When Jones became aware of his diabetes, he needed the assistance of his wife and son to maintain him on the right track and chargeable for his eating habits.

“There have been difficult changes, like not having your favorite strawberry shortcake,” he said. “My wife and son helped me by keeping an eye on everything and being guard dogs. They both helped me stay organized.”

Jones was best known for his roles on and. He was a pioneer in Hollywood and have become one among the primary African-American actors to have a recurring role on a daytime drama in 1965 ().

He enjoyed a profession that lasted well into his 80s and earned him quite a few accolades, including two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, a National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Center Honors. He also received an honorary Oscar and a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement. In 2022, the Broadway theater was renamed in his honor.

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