David Prowse (1935-2020)

David Prowse
BIRTH 1 Jul 1935
Bristol, Bristol Unitary Authority, Bristol, England
DEATH 28 Nov 2020 (aged 85)
London, City of London, Greater London, England
BURIAL Cremated, Specifically: Ashes returned to his widow

David Prowse (1935-2020)

English Bodybuilder, Weightlifter and Character Actor. In a career that spanned 50 years, the massive 6’6″ actor will best be remembered for physically portraying Darth Vader in the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. Prior to landing the famous role, he was a familiar face on UK television as the first Green Cross Code Man, a character used in road safety advertising aimed at children. Well known in bodybuilding competitions in the 1960’s and ’70s, he competed at the Commonwealth Games and represented England against the likes of Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

David Prowse Birth 1 Jul 1935 Bristol England

David Prowse Death 28 Nov 2020 (aged 85) England

He was also the personal trainer for Christopher Reeve while he prepared for the physical transformation into Superman. In 1976, Prowse initially auditioned for both the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca, landing the role of one the the most famous villains in cinematic history. His West Country accent wasn’t used in the final cut, Darth Vader’s lines were dubbed by James Earl Jones.

Among films he also had roles in were the James Bond spoof ‘Casino Royale,’ and the Hammer Horror films ‘Horror Of Frankenstein’ and ‘Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.’ In his later career, he became a popular force on the fan convention circuit, however after a falling-out with ‘Star Wars’ producer George Lucas in 2010, he was banned from events.