30 November 2020
Newsdesk
Star Wars creator George Lucas has paid tribute to Darth Vader actor David Prowse following his death over the weekend.
The former bodybuilder and weightlifter, who was best known for physically portraying the legendary villain in the original sci-fi trilogy, passed away on Saturday at the age of 85. His daughter Rachel has since revealed to Britain's The Sun that her father, who had previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, had been in a hospital for two weeks with Covid-19 before he died.
Lucas, who directed all three original films, wrote a tribute to the towering actor on Starwars.com on Sunday.
"David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character," the statement reads. "He made Vader leap off the page and on to the big screen, with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader's presence. David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace."
Mark Hamill, who plays Darth Vader's son Luke Skywalker, also wrote a tribute on Twitter.
"So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader," he wrote. "Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire - 3 time British Weightlifting Champion and Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him."
Reps for the Peter Mayhew Foundation, set up in memory of the actor who played Chewbacca, shared a picture of Prowse with late actors Mayhew and Kenny Baker, who portrayed R2-D2, on Twitter.
"RIP Dave Prowse," the caption read. "I hope you’re up there sharing a pint and a story with the boys."
Prowse spoke Darth Vader's dialogue during filming, but Lucas decided he wanted a deeper, more reverberating sound so hired James Earl Jones to provide Vader's voice.
