R.I.P. David Prowse, The Man Behind Darth Vader
British actor David Prowse, who wore Darth Vader’s armor during the Original Trilogy, has died….
David Prowse was out of the public eye, having recently retired from appearances and shows. However, his presence will forever loom large with his fans and with everyone who has ever shivered at the visage of Darth Vader.
The BBC posted:
Dave Prowse, the Bristolian former bodybuilder best known for playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died aged 85.
Prowse was cast as Vader for his imposing physique, even though the role was voiced by James Earl Jones.
But the weightlifter-turned-actor was most proud of playing the Green Cross Code Man. The role, promoting road safety in the UK, earned him an MBE.
The Man Behind The Mask Has Passed
“May the force be with him, always!” said his agent Thomas Bowington.
Though famous for playing many monsters – for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives.”
Mr Bowington called the actor’s death, after a short illness, “a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world”.
A Star Wars Legend, Hero To Many
Of his work on Star Wars, BBC added:
Spotted by director George Lucas in the 1971 film Clockwork Orange, in which he played a bodyguard, Prowse was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca in 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
He later told the BBC’s Tanya Beckett, he chose Vader over Chewbacca because ”you always remember the bad guys.”
With the success of Star Wars, Prowse became a regular on the fan circuit and attended conventions around the world for almost 40 years, but he was rumoured to have later fallen out with director Lucas and was banned from official events in 2010.
This is a developing story and MickeyBlog.com will post more about Mr. Prowse as more details are reported.