We at The Watchers were saddened to hear of the death of David Prowse. The 6ft 6in actor and bodybuilder- best known for physically playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy- passed away on November 28th, at the age of 85.
Born in Bristol in 1935, Prowse found a passion for body-building and weight-training as a teenager. He won the British heavyweight weightlifting champion from 1962-1964, and represented England at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. He also competed in Mr Universe bodybuilding competition. During this time, he became friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.
Prowse made his feature film debut in 1967, in the spy spoof Casino Royale in an uncredited role as Frankenstein's Monster (he would play this role again in two Hammer horror movies: The Horror Of Frankenstein [1970] and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell [1974]). He also appeared in Carry On Henry (1971) and the big-screen version of Up Pompeii (1971) in bit parts.
Prowse also appeared in Stanley Kubrick's controversial 1971 movie A Clockwork Orange. In it, Prowse plays Julian, the hulking aide to Mr. Alexander (Patrick Magee). It's a very physical role, which has Prowse lifting and carrying Magee in his wheelchair, and conveying Malcolm McDowell down a flight of stairs. It's this role which brought Prowse onto the radar of George Lucas. Before his appearance in Star Wars, Prowse appeared in several cult sci-fi TV shows including Doctor Who (1972) as a Minotaur, The Tomorrow People (1973) as an Android, and Space: 1999 (1976) as the Cloud Creature.
If Darth Vader wasn't enough of a claim to fame, Prowse also had a second role for which he will be remembered (especially in the UK). In 1975, Prowse took the role of the Green Cross Man, a superhero designed by the British road safety committee to teach road safety to children, using the Green Cross Code. His catchphrase was "Stop, look, and listen". It was such a success that the Green Cross Man continued to be a side project throughout his career until the 1990s. Prowse considered this role to be of great importance, and has stated many times that it was possibly the most rewarding job he has done.
George Lucas invited Prowse to audition for two roles in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); they were Chewbacca and Darth Vader. Prowse opted to go for the latter as "you always remember the bad guys" (Chewbacca went on to be played by Peter Mayhew). Prowse gave the physical performance for Vader and also did the scripted lines, but his broad Bristolian accent (which gained him the rather unflattering nickname of 'Darth Farmer' from Carrie Fisher) was not deemed to be right for the character and Lucas had James Earl Jones record the lines. Urban legend has it that Prowse only realised that his lines had been re-recorded at the premiere of the film.
Prowse reprised the role in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983), although when Vader is unmasked at the end, actor Sebastian Shaw is seen. He was also doubled by stunt co-ordinator Bob Anderson during the lightsabre duels, as Prowse kept breaking the stunt props. Due to a leak to the British press just before Return Of The Jedi (which was incorrectly pinned on Prowse), the relationship between Prowse and LucasFilm became strained. Prowse was even barred from official Star Wars events, but remained a mainstay of the convention circuit, meeting fans and signing autographs. Due to ill health, he retired from public appearances in 2017.
Aside from his screen work, Prowse worked as a fitness trainer, even acting as Christopher Reeve's personal trainer for Superman (1978) and as Cary Elwes' for The Princess Bride (1987). He was awarded an MBE in the 2000 Queen's Millennium Honours List for his contribution to charity and road safety. His autobiography- Straight From The Force's Mouth- was published in 2011.
Paying tribute to Prowse, George Lucas wrote "David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character... 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. David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace.”
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Norma, and three children. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.
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