Actor David Prowse, Star Wars‘ Original Darth Vader, Dead at 85
British bodybuilder-turned-actor David Prowse, best known as the physical embodiment of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died. He was 85.
“It’s with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and millions of fans around the world to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85,” Prowse’s management company tweeted early Sunday. According to CNN, Prowse died of prostate cancer.
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Although James Earl Jones voiced the legendary villain, it was the 6’6 Prowse who wore Darth Vader’s iconic black suit and helmet.
“So sad to hear David Prowse has passed,” Mark Hamill tweeted on Sunday. “He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader. Actor-Husband-Father, Member of the Order of the British Empire, three-time British Weightlifting Champion and Safety Icon, the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”
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