British Actor Dave Prowse Dies At 85  

British Actor Dave Prowse Dies At 85
 

British actor, Dave Prowse, behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain, Darth Vader has died at the age of 85, his agent said Sunday.

A former body-builder turned actor, Prowse’s towering stature at almost two metres (6.5 feet) clinched him the role of the infamous antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the epic saga, tweeted that he was “so sad to hear David Prowse has passed.”

“He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader,” Hamill wrote.

“Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion. He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”

Prowse’s agent Thomas Bowington announced the news on Facebook on Sunday, writing: “It’s with great sadness that we have to announce that our client Dave Prowse… passed away yesterday morning at the age of 85.”

“May the force be with him, always!” the agent later told the BBC.

Bowington added that Prowse’s death following a short illness was “a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world”.

But while he donned the glossy black armour and cape, Prowse’s strong western English accent meant the filmmakers turned to US actor James Earl Jones for the chilling voice that would emerge from behind the mask.

Prowse nevertheless remained attached to the character, telling AFP in 2013 that he was “the greatest big-screen villain of all time.”