I have felt a connection with David Prowse for the last forty years or so as I portrayed the character he created when I was dancing with Pillow in the Love Act at the Hungry i on Broadway in the late seventies (link below). So, I was shocked and saddened to hear of his death. It is the "Immortal Loves" syndrome in action (link below).
He was born on July 1, 1935, brought up on the Southmead housing estate in Bristol. Prowse was tall, standing 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). He was a bodybuilder, weightlifter and character actor in British film and television. Worldwide, he was best known for physically portraying Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy (with the character's voice being performed by James Earl Jones); in 2015, he starred in a documentary concerning that role, entitled I Am Your Father, a 2015 Spanish documentary film written and directed by Toni Bestard (es) and Marcos Cabotá (es). The film deals with actor David Prowse many years after he played the role of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. In this documentary, the directors find some clues about the difficult
relationship between Prowse and Lucasfilm, suggesting that the reason
for their differences was an article published by a British newspaper
during the shooting of Return of the Jedi.
Prior to his role as Vader, Prowse had established himself as a prominent figure in the UK as the first Green Cross Code man, a character used in road safety public information aimed at children.
date & photographer unknown
Health
and fitness remained an interest for Prowse, who also worked as a
personal trainer for actors playing the role of Superman, including
Christopher Reeve, and wrote a book called Fitness is Fun. He published an autobiography, Straight from the Force's Mouth, in 2011.
David Prowse ~ Straight from the Force's Mouth - 2011
David Prowse was being treated for prostate cancer. He died at a hospital in London, England, on 28 November 2020, he was 85 years old.
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Independent UK ~ Road safety hero who crossed over to the Dark Side
NBC News ~ David Prowse who played Darth Vader, dies
RollingStone ~ David Prowse (Darth Vader) Dead at 85
Sci-Fi Online ~ Straight from the Force's Mouth review
YouTube links:
ABC News ~ James Earl Jones and His Unmistakable Voice
BBC News ~ David Prowse passes away
I Am Your Father ~
Finding David Prowse (film clip)
I Am Your Father Trailer
David Prowse aka Darth Vader ~ Why His Voice Was Cut
I Am Your Father review
"The Force Is With You"
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