Darth Vader actor passes away at age 85
- by Leland Aguilar
- in Entertaiment
- — Dec 1, 2020
David Prowse, best known for playing Darth Vader in STAR WARS, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI, has passed away.
David's agent confirmed David's death today November 29 who died age 85. "Our love and thoughts go out to his family", Joiner said.
Prowse's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill payed tribute to the original Vader on Twitter, writing: "So sad to hear David Prowse has passed".
David Prowse has sadly died.
Prowse had been known to children in Great Britain in a more sympathetic role as the "Green Cross Code Man" in a series of public information films to promote road safety though Prowse revealed: "I nearly got the sack from the Government because they thought my image as Darth Vader would have a detrimental effect on my image".
"Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion".
"He loved his fans as much as they loved him", he wrote.
While he donned the glossy black armour and cape, Prowse's strong western English accent meant the filmmakers turned to U.S. actor James Earl Jones for the chilling voice that would emerge from behind Darth Vader's mask.
A former body-builder turned actor, Prowse's towering stature at nearly two metres (6.5 feet) clinched him the role of the infamous antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.
According to IMDB, Prowse was born in Bristol, UK in 1935 and raised by his mother and never knew his father.
He also became a body builder and competed against Arnold Schwarzenegger - another who would find greater fame through acting.
However, Prowse was a definitive presence in all three of the early films, thanks to his hulking 6ft 6in (1.98 m) frame, honed by the weightlifting skills which saw him represent England at the Commonwealth Games in the early 1960s.
He also shredded phone books under the stage-name Jack the Ripper. Used to playing hulking monsters, Prowse portrayed Dr. Frankenstein's creature in three separate films: Casino Royale (1967), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974).
Prause also worked as a coach for other actors, helping Christopher Reeve prepare to be the man of steel in the hit 1978 movie "Superman".
