Actor and 6'.6" bodybuilder Dave Prowse, who wore the Darth Vader suit for most of the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at age 85, following a brief illness. Prowse got his start as Frankenstein's Creature in the 1967 James Bond spoof,
Casino Royale, as well as in the iconic Hammer film series, 1970's
Horror Of Frankenstein He was also well known for portraying the British road safety mascot, "Green Cross Code Man", who he played for over decade in the 70;'s and 80's. His role as a bodyguard in 1971's
Clockwork Orange led to an audition for
Star Wars, where he chose the role of Darth Vader over that of Chewbacca, because, as he later said in an interview, ''you always remember the bad guys.'' While Prowse wore the suit, the character was voiced by James Earl Jones, with
Bob Anderson performing some of the swordfighting. Following man successful years of convention appearances,, a falling out with George Lucas led to a ban from official events in 2010
(Source:
BBC)
