“Ant-Man” director Edgar Wright also paid tribute to Prowse on Twitter. He loved his fans as much as they loved him. Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader. Hamill said the actor “loved his fans as much as they loved him. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films, tweeted that Prowse was “a kind man & much more than Darth Vader”. He was a regular at Star Wars fan events, but was banned from official conventions by Lucas in 2010 after the pair fell out. Other film credits include 1972’s Minotaur and 1977’s Jabberwocky, and he also appeared in many TV shows including The Saint and The Benny Hill Show. David Prowse signs autographs during the opening day of Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles, 2007 He played the role for almost 20 years, and earned an MBE in 2000. Prowse was also known to a generation of British children as the Green Cross Code Man, a superhero in a series of road safety advertisements during the 1970s and 80s. Prowse also worked as a trainer for other actors, helping Christopher Reeve prepare to be the Man of Steel in hit 1978 film Superman. Prowse nevertheless remained attached to the character, telling AFP in 2013 that he was “the greatest big-screen villain of all time”. “All actors crave recognition and I’d like to have some like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo,” he told The Associated Press in 1980. He expressed some regret that, thanks to Vader’s mask, “I can walk around with complete anonymity.” Prowse donned Darth Vader’s black armour and helmet for Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). His lilting English West Country accent was considered less ideal, and his lines were dubbed by James Earl Jones. Physically, Prowse was perfect for the part. Prowse later told the BBC he chose Darth Vader because “you always remember the bad guys”. Prowse died on Saturday after a short illness, his agent Thomas Bowington said on Sunday.īorn in Bristol, southwest England, in 1935, Prowse was a three-time British weightlifting champion and represented England in weightlifting at the 1962 Commonwealth Games before breaking into movies with roles that emphasised his commanding size, including Frankenstein’s monster in a pair of Hammer Studios horror films.ĭirector George Lucas saw Prowse in a small part in A Clockwork Orange and asked the 6-foot-6-inch (almost 2-metre) actor to audition for the villainous Vader or the Wookie Chewbacca in Star Wars. The superhero-like character appeared in campaigns for over two decades and secured Prowse an MBE in 2000.Dave Prowse, the British weightlifter-turned-actor who was the body, though not the voice, of arch-villain Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died. TV as the first Green Cross Code Man, a character used in road safety advertising aimed at children. He also enjoyed significant success as an athlete and represented England as a weightlifter at the Commonwealth Games in the early 1960s.ĭuring that time, he reportedly became close friends with rival bodybuilding competitors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno and he later served as the physical trainer for Christopher Reeve as he prepared to take on the role of Superman. His acting career spanned more than 50 years, with the star landing roles in A Clockwork Orange and Doctor Who, among others. He went on to appear in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The former bodybuilder debuted in the iconic role, which was voiced by American actor James Earl Jones, in 1977's Star Wars. His agent Thomas Bowington confirmed the star had passed away following a short illness, writing in a Facebook post: "May the force be with him, always! Though famous for playing many monsters - for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives."īowington added that Prowse's death was a "truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world". Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at age 85.
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