This photo during a Star Wars convention in Cusset, central France, shows David Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader. — AFP file photo
LONDON: Dave Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died, his agent Thomas Bowington said Sunday.
“It’s with great sadness that we have to announce that our client Dave Prowse… passed away yesterday morning at the age of 85,” Bowington wrote on Facebook.
“May the force be with him, always!” the agent told the BBC.
A former body-builder turned actor, Prowse’s towering stature at almost two metres clinched him the role of the instantly-recognisable antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Lucas asked him to audition for the roles of Vader and hairy giant Chewbacca, with Prowse choosing the dark side because “you always remember the bad guys,” he once told the BBC.
But while he donned the glossy black armour and cape, the Bristol native’s strong western English accent meant the filmmakers turned to James Earl Jones for the chilling voice that would emerge from behind the mask.
Prowse nevertheless remained attached to the character, telling AFP in 2013 that he was “the greatest big-screen villain of all time”.
Since the original Star Wars trilogy was released in the late 1970s and early 80s, Prowse had travelled the world meeting hardcore fans. — AFP
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