The original Star Wars trilogy has lost another staple performer, as David Prowse — the bodybuilder turned actor who brought the original Darth Vader to life — has passed away.
Prowse died over the weekend at the age of 85, and his daughter Rachel confirmed to The Sun that he had contracted COVID-19 in the weeks leading up to his death.
"It's horrible that COVID restrictions meant we did not get to see him and say goodbye," she said. "But when we went to collect his stuff from the hospital, the nurse said what a cool guy he was. He was such a larger-than-life character. He would have loved to see himself trending on Twitter."
She continued: "He might have looked quite scary but as a person he was a sweet, kind and generous man. He really was a gentle giant. And to us he was our dad."
Prowse embodied Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and had originally been cast to voice the character as well before his accent was considered unfitting and he was replaced by James Earl Jones.
Throughout his career, Prowse also appeared in the likes of Doctor Who, A Clockwork Orange and Casino Royale.
Prowse died over the weekend at the age of 85, and his daughter Rachel confirmed to The Sun that he had contracted COVID-19 in the weeks leading up to his death.
"It's horrible that COVID restrictions meant we did not get to see him and say goodbye," she said. "But when we went to collect his stuff from the hospital, the nurse said what a cool guy he was. He was such a larger-than-life character. He would have loved to see himself trending on Twitter."
She continued: "He might have looked quite scary but as a person he was a sweet, kind and generous man. He really was a gentle giant. And to us he was our dad."
Prowse embodied Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and had originally been cast to voice the character as well before his accent was considered unfitting and he was replaced by James Earl Jones.
Throughout his career, Prowse also appeared in the likes of Doctor Who, A Clockwork Orange and Casino Royale.