The Cort Theatre which first opened its doors on Broadway in 1912, has been renamed in honor of the legendary actor James Earl Jones, NBC News reports. 

Located on 48th Street in Manhattan’s Theatre District, where Jones made his stage debut in 1958, the theatre will now be known as The James Earl Jones Theatre.

The Shubert Organization Inc., which owns and operates 17 Broadway and six off-Broadway theaters including the Shubert Theatre, initiated the name change.

“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, Shubert CEO and board chair said. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.”

A formal dedication ceremony is being planned for this summer after renovations are complete at the theatre.

The theatre has not been operating because of renovations that began during the pandemic. The construction project includes “a new contemporary wing located off the building’s western face.”

“For me standing in this very building sixty-four years ago at the start of my Broadway career, it would have been inconceivable that my name would be on the building today,” Jones said in a statement from the Shubert Organization. “Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration for all aspiring actors.”

An acclaimed actor and EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony), James has won three Tony Awards, a Grammy, two Emmys, and an honorary Academy Award. He earned an NAACP Image Award for outstanding character voice-over performance for reprising the role of Mufasa in the 2019 version of The Lion King. Also, he provided the voice of Darth Vader in the early Star Wars films in the 1970s.