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Prowse, a personal trainer, was responsible with his brother for opening one of the first gyms in England.
Dave Prowse, a bodybuilder from Bristol, England who rose to fame playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at the age of 85.
Prowse has earned the role of villain due to his impressive physique, though the character’s voice was voiced by James Earl Jones.
But the weightlifter and actor was most proud of a role in a series of public services promoting road safety in the UK, earning an honorary degree from the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
“May the force be with you, always!” His agent Thomas Bowington said.
“Even though he became famous playing many monsters – for me and everyone who met and worked with Dave, he was a hero in our lives.”
Bowington called the actor’s death – after a brief illness – “a deeply painful loss for us and millions of fans around the world.”
Imposing presence
Prowse’s acting career spanned 50 years, but it was his role as sith lord in “Star Wars” that brought him international fame.
Unfortunately, his pronounced Western accent was not considered appropriate for the role of the menacing villain and his voice was dubbed.
However, Prowse was a massive presence in the first three films, thanks to her height of 1.98 meters and the muscularity gained from weightlifting that led him to represent England at the Commonwealth Games in the 1960s.
During that time, he is said to have befriended rival bodybuilders Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno (the Hulk of TV), long before they became famous.
Image source, Lucasfilm
Prowse said he didn’t know Darth Vader’s voice would be voiced by another actor.
Before starting acting, Prowse achieved success in Hollywood circles, preparing the late Christopher Reeve for the role of Superman, as the American actor’s personal trainer.
Prowse made his film debut in the 1967 James Bond parody “Casino Royale” as the Frankenstein monster, a role he played in two other horror films.
He also frequently appeared in the iconic series “El Santo”, “Space 1999” and “Doctor Who”.
Director George Lucas saw him in the 1971 movie “A Clockwork Orange”, in which he played a bodyguard and Prowse was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca in “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”.
The actor later told the BBC that he had chosen to be Darth Vader instead of Chewbacca because “you always remember the bad guys”.
With the success of “Star Wars”, Prowse became a regular presence at fan conventions around the world for nearly 40 years, but it was rumored that he had a fight with director Lucas and was banned from official events in 2010.
Image source, PA Medium
Prowse was awarded in the UK for a public service series “Green Cross Code Man”.
Despite the enduring fame of “Star Wars”, the actor has always maintained that his role in the public service series “Green Cross Code Man”, in which he has appeared since 1975, was “the best job he ever had. “.
Dressed like a superhero in black and green, has become the face of road safety in the UK for over a decade, known for its motto “Stop, watch and listen”.
Raised in Bristol, West England, he has been described by those close to him as “a dear husband, father and grandfather”.
His autobiography “Straight from the Force’s Mouth” was published in 2011.
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