On Saturday, Darth Vader performer David Prowse passed away at the age of 85Â after a short illness. Now, Star Wars icons, including franchise creator George Lucas and actor Mark Hamill, have written tributes to Prowse and his contribution to one of cinema's most memorable villains.
While James Earl Jones provided the deep and menacing voice of Darth Vader, Prowse was the man behind the armor who brought the intimidating antagonist to life in front of the cameras. The 6-foot-7 actor landed the role of Darth Vader, which he portrayed in all three chapters of the original Star Wars trilogy, after being seen by Lucas in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. Prowse had chosen to portray Vader after being offered the choice of playing either the primary antagonist of the original Star Wars film or Chewbacca, the towering Wookie co-pilot and trusted friend of Han Solo.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucas recounted why Prowse was the ideal choice to portray Darth Vader. "David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character," wrote Lucas. "He made Vader leap off the page and on to the big screen, with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader's presence." Although Prowse himself was always hidden beneath Vader's armor and the character's voice was not his own, Lucas recognized the late actor's role in cementing the villain's now-iconic status. "David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace," Lucas concluded.
On his official Twitter account, Hamill also paid tribute to his on-screen adversary and father. "So sad to hear David Prowse has passed," wrote Hamill in a post that included multiple images of Prowse at various points of his career. "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." Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, who respectively portrayed C-3PO and Lando Calrissian, also took to Twitter to reflect on Prowse's passing and legacy.
As Hamill noted, Prowse's career extended far beyond the Star Wars franchise. Prowse also portrayed another iconic character, Frankenstein's monster, on three occasions, starting with the 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale.
Prowse also played an unseen but crucial part in bringing Superman to the silver screen for the first time. As a bodybuilder himself, Prowse helped a then-slim Christopher Reeve improve his physique to play the Man of Steel in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter/Mark Hamill, Twitter/Anthony Daniels, Twitter/Billy Dee Williams