Over the weekend, the world learned that Dave Prowse, the actor behind the mask of the iconic Darth Vader, had died at the age of 85 after a brief illness. He also announced back in 2014 that he had been battling dementia and also had a battle with prostate cancer as well. Following the news of his death, his Star Wars co-stars took to social media to pay tribute to their late friend.
Mark Hamill, who played the role of Luke Skywalker, writes, “So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. 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. #RIP.”
An additional Star Wars co-star, Billy Dee Williams, also shared some kind words of sympathy after the loss. “Incredibly sad to hear David Prowse has passed. It was a great gift to work with him and an honor to call him my friend.”
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Joe Manganiello also touched on Prowse’s portrayal of Darth Vader. Although James Earl Jones brought the legendary lines to life via his voice, Prowse was the man behind the mask bringing the character himself to life. “David Prowse as Darth Vader was BRILLIANT. He was so unbelievably magical in that suit. I’ve watched Empire so many times with the sound off just to watch how he moved. His physical choices were as iconic as James’ voice to me & aside from all of that he was such a nice man. RIP,” says Manganiello.
Star Trek director William Shatner also remembers the Star Wars star as a “giant among men.” He says, “Saddened to wake up to the news that my Twitter friend David Prowse passed away. David, a literal giant among men, played many roles in his career. His most famous role was being the misunderstood father who tried to give the universe to his very disobedient twins. #DarthVader.”
Aside from his success with the Star Wars universe, Prowse was also a bodybuilder who competed against the famed Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hulk star Lou Ferrigno. He also served as a physical trainer for Christopher Reeve during his Superman days, including Vanessa Redgrave and Daniel Day-Lewis as well.
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