Dave Prowse, the Darth Vader in the first Star Wars trilogy, died at the age of 85. The announcement was made this Sunday on Facebook by his agent.
A former weightlifter, Dave Prowse began his career on the big screen in 1967 in Casino Royale, a James Bond parody film. He played the role of Frankenstein’s creature, a role he reprised in The Horrors of Frankenstein and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell. His role in A Clockwork Orange had given him an audition for the roles of Chewbacca and Darth Vader. He had finally opted for the Sith lord because the bad guys are always remembered. He took on this role for the first three films even though the character’s voice was provided by James Earl Jones.
On the small screen, we could see him in Doctor Who, The Rose Medallion, A Horseman Riding By, The Tomorrow People, Ace of Wands and Arthur of the Britons.