The British actor David Prowse who portrayed Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy has tragically died at the age of 85 from an illness his agents confirmed. They shared the news on Twitter late last night.
It's with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85. #DaveProwse @starwars #DarthVader #GreenCrossCodeMan #iconic #actor #bodybuilder #MBE pic.twitter.com/dL2RmdIqg8
— Bowington Management (@BowingtonM) November 29, 2020
Born in 1935, David Prowse was a weightlifting champion before he got into acting. In 1962 he won the British weightlifting championship before representing England at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane that same year. Five years later he began his career as an actor portraying Frankenstein’s monster in Casino Royale (1967) and would go on to reprise the role of Frankenstein again in The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974).
After appearing as a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange where George Lucas spotted him, David Prowse auditioned for both Chewbacca and Darth Vader before landing the role of what was to become one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. Unfortunately, George Lucas felt Prowse’s accent wasn’t suitable for the role but due to his towering physique he would play Darth Vader physically while James Earl Jones voiced the character.
Later on in life Prowse would make many appearances at Star Wars conventions becoming active in the community. He released a memoir titled Straight from the Force’s Mouth in 2011 and his life story was told in the 2015 documentary I Am Your Father.
Mark Hamill, who played the role of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader’s son, released a statement himself on Twitter which can be read below.
So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader. Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him. #RIP pic.twitter.com/VbDrGu6iBz
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) November 29, 2020
Rest in peace, David Prowse. You will be sorely missed.
