David Prowse, a champion English bodybuilder who was the man behind the mask of the original Darth Vader, died early in the morning on Saturday at the age of 85.
According to his agent Thomas Bowington, Prowse died after a short illness, as he announced his passing on Twitter.
“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,” Bowington Management shared Sunday.
“May the force be with him, always!” Bowington said in a statement.
“Though famous for playing many monsters — for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives.”
Prowse portrayed the Frankenstein monster in three movies: the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967) and, for Hammer Films, The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974).
He also appeared as the muscular manservant working for author Frank Alexander (Patrick Magee) in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971).
It was in this movie where George Lucas had seen him and offered him a part in the first Star Wars film which was released in 1977.
“Lucas said to me, ‘You’ve got a choice of two characters in the movie,” Prowse shared in an interview.
“He said, ‘There’s a character called Chewbacca, which is like a huge teddy bear, or alternatively, there’s the main villain in the piece.’ Well, there’s no choice, is there? Thank you very much, I’ll have the villain’s piece.”
But while he donned the now-iconic Samurai-inspired helmet and mask and the black suit, his West Country English accent was thought to be unsuitable for the part.
This prompted the production to use the voice of actor James Earl Jones for the character.
Prowse was also well-known in the UK as the Green Cross Code Man — a superhero-like character in public service adverts who helped children get across the street safely – from 1967 through 1990.
It is this role that he is most proud of, and was awarded an MBE — a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire — in 2000.
“It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever done.”