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David Prowse
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David Prowse, MBE (born 1 July 1935) is an English bodybuilder, weightlifter and sometime actor, most widely known for his role as the physical form of Darth Vader. At peak, Prowse stood 200 cm (6'6.5") tall and weighed 265 lbs (19 stone / 120 kg). Prowse is a native of Bristol, where he attended Bristol Grammar School.
ably, Prowse is best known for playing the physical form of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.
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David Prowse, MBE (born 1 July 1935) is an English bodybuilder, weightlifter and sometime actor, most widely known for his role as the physical form of Darth Vader. At peak, Prowse stood 200 cm (6'6.5") tall and weighed 265 lbs (19 stone / 120 kg). Prowse is a native of Bristol, where he attended Bristol Grammar School.
Darth Vader
Arguably, Prowse is best known for playing the physical form of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy. He spoke the dialogue during the filming of the movie, and didn't actually know he was Luke's father until he saw the movie in the cinema. Though he was never going to be used as the voice of Darth Vader, he was originally told that he would be seen and heard at the end of Return of the Jedi when Vader's mask was removed. This did not end up happening as actor Sebastian Shaw was brought in instead. However, Lucas claims he wanted a 'darker voice' (Lucas has stated that Darth Vader had to have a deep, reverberating voice) that Prowse could not provide and never intended to use Prowse's voice. In the 2004 documentary, Empire of Dreams, actress Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia Organa in the original trilogy films, quipped that they nicknamed Prowse "Darth Farmer" because of his un-intimidating West Country accent. In the lightsaber battle scenes, Prowse's fencing coach Bob Anderson (who also taught the sword fighters in The Princess Bride and Lord Of The Rings) took his place as a stunt double.
To Prowse, the most annoying incident came during the filming of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the major plot twist of which is the revelation of who Luke Skywalker's father is. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Skywalker is told by Obi-Wan Kenobi that his father was betrayed and murdered by a young pupil named Darth Vader. However, in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Vader himself reveals that he is actually Skywalker's father. According to director Irvin Kershner, the shooting script had a false page with Vader's dialogue implicating Kenobi as the murderer of Luke's father, but at the time, only he, George Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz were privy to the knowledge that Darth Vader and Luke's father were the same person. Moments before the scene was filmed, Mark Hamill, the actor playing Luke, was taken aside privately and told the truth by Kershner, who encouraged him to ignore the dialogue Prowse was speaking and "use your own rhythm compared to what he's doing". During filming, Prowse performed the false lines while the real lines were later spoken by James Earl Jones in post production — the majority of the cast, including Prowse, were not aware of this plot twist until the first screening of the finished film. In later years, Prowse claimed he would sometimes deliver joke versions of his lines in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Prowse continues to associate himself with his role in the Star Wars films and is involved in the convention circuit. Despite this, he has not been included in recent reunions of the original cast, such as those for the Empire of Dreams documentary and the 2005 Vanity Fair cover.
Recently he played a small cameo role in Star Wars fanfilms "Order of the Sith: Vengeance" and its sequel "Downfall" - Order of the Sith - alongside Jeremy Bulloch and Michael Sheard. These fanfilms were made in England in support of the charity Save the Children.
In 2008, he was one of the cast members featured on Justin Lee Collins's Bring Back Star Wars. Prowse commented that he had a dispute with George Lucas after he allegedly leaked reports of Darth Vader's death to the press. Subsequently the appearance of Darth Vader was to be played by Sebastian Shaw and not Prowse. He said that it was the worst filming experience of his career.
Other roles
Within the United Kingdom, Prowse is also well-known as the Green Cross Code Man, a superhero invented to promote a British road safety campaign for children in 1975. As a result of his association with the campaign which ran between 1971 and 1990 he received the MBE in 2000.
He had a role as F. Alexander's bodyguard Julian in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, and as a circus strongman in 1972's Vampire Circus. He played the Minotaur in the 1972 Doctor Who serial The Time Monster. He also appeared in an episode of Space:1999, The Beta Cloud in 1976 right before he was cast as Darth Vader. He had a small role as Hotblack Desiato's bodyguard in the 1981 BBC TV adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He also appeared in the first series of The Tomorrow People on LWT and as a bodyguard in 'Callan'. He played Charles, the duke's wrestler, in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of As You Like It in 1978.
Prowse played Frankenstein's monster three times. He first appeared in Casino Royale. He then appeared in The Horror of Frankenstein in a more or less recognizable form. In Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, he was heavily made up.
Prowse also made two uncredited appearances on The Benny Hill Show. On Hill's first show for Thames Television in 1969, he played a briefs-clad muscleman in the "Ye Olde Wishing Well" quickie, and in 1984 he showed off his muscles in a sketch set to the song "Stupid Cupid." The earlier routine was also featured in the 1974 movie The Best of Benny Hill, in which he was credited.
In June 2006, he played the role of a cannibal gardener in an English independent film called Perfect Woman produced by Olympus Productions Limited.
Other activities
Prowse represented England in the weightlifting event at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia.
He helped train Christopher Reeve for the role of Superman in the 1978 film and its sequels after lobbying for the part himself. In a television interview he related how his response to being told "We've found our Superman" was "Thank you very much." Then he was told that Reeve had been chosen and he was only to be a trainer.
He also trained Cary Elwes for his role as Westley in The Princess Bride. He is also a notable old boy of Bristol Grammar School. Prowse is now the official leader of the 501st Legion, a fan group dedicated to Star Wars costuming.
Health problems and private life
Prowse has suffered from arthritis for much of his life. That has led to replacements of both hips and his ankle being fused, as well as several revisionary surgeries on his hip replacements. Prowse's arthritic symptoms first appeared at age 13, but seemingly disappeared when he took up competitive weightlifting. However, they reappeared in 1990.
In 2001, Prowse's left arm became paralyzed, followed by his right. He was diagnosed with septic arthritis caused by an infection he blames on an allergy to some of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs he was prescribed. It nearly killed him. The significant amount of heavy weightlifting that Prowse has endured during his career and amount of surgery he has had has also drastically reduced his height. At peak he stood around 6'6.5" (199-200cm). Today he has lost over four inches in height and is currently in his seventies little over 6'2".
Today, Prowse works with various arthritis organizations in Britain and is vice-president of the Physically Handicapped and Able-bodied Association.
In 1999, it was rumored that thieves broke into Prowse's home and stole the lightsaber he used in the Star Wars trilogy and several of his other possessions. However, after a discussion with Prowse on May 4, 2007, he said that the "lightsaber" was actually a toy and not an original prop. He explained that the story printed about the break-in concentrated on the supposed "lightsaber" and not on the jewellery and other valuables taken. He further said that he was never given any of the props from the Star Wars films.
Prowse is married with three children and is a prominent supporter of Bristol Rugby club.
In November 2007, Dave became a Patron of Walkoncemore, a spinal cord injury charity that raises funds toward a cure for the condition.
Prowse is also personal friend and manager of Drummer/Solo Artist Jayce Lewis, Prowse was the manager of Jayce's early alternative rock band Losing Sun.
Popular culture
External links
- at www.sci-fi-online.com
- at www.sci-fi-online.com
- at www.galaxiki.org (April 2008)
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