'Star Wars' Darth Vader Actor David Prowse Dead at 84

It's a truly sad day for Star Wars fans. David Prowse, who is best known for playing the terrifying Darth Vader in the original trilogy movies, has passed away at the age of 84.

The confirmation comes from David Prowse's agent Thomas Bowington, who informed BBC about his client's passing. "May the force be with him, always!" Bowington said in a statement. "Though famous for playing many monsters - for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives."

It didn't take long before David Prowse's Star Wars family paid tribute to the late actor. Mark Hamill, who famously went up against Prowse's Darth Vader in the films, shared several photos of his former co-star along with some words of praise.

"So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader. Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him," Hamill tweeted. He then added the hashtag #RIP.

George Lucas, who created Star Wars and chose David Prowse to play Darth Vader in A New Hope, also issued a statement about the actor's passing.

"David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character," Lucas told StarWars.com. "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."

David Prowse was born and raised in Bristol, where he made good use of his height of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) to find cool jobs. He took an interest in bodybuilding before taking up weightlifting then moving to an acting career. His first notable movie role was in A Clockwork Orange, which caught the attention of George Lucas and led to Prowse being cast in Star Wars.

Interestingly, David Prowse was also offered the role of Chewbacca. However, he turned it now, pointing out that "you always remember the baddies." The role of Chewbacca eventually went to Peter Mayhew, who passed away in April 2019. Meanwhile, Prowse would share the role of Vader with James Earl Jones, who provided the voice of the villain.

David Prowse suffered from several health problems throughout his life. However, the cause of death has not yet been revealed.