LONDON • Dave Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died, his agent Thomas Bowington said yesterday.
"It's with great sadness that we have to announce that our client Dave Prowse... passed away yesterday morning at the age of 85," Mr Bowington wrote on Facebook.
"May the force be with him, always," the agent told the BBC.
Mr Bowington added that Prowse's death was "a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world".
A former bodybuilder-turnedactor, Prowse's towering stature at almost 2m clinched him the role of the instantly recognisable antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy (1977 to 1983).
But while he donned the glossy black armour and cape, the Bristol native's strong western English accent meant the film-makers turned to actor James Earl Jones for the chilling voice that would emerge from behind the mask.
Prowse, nevertheless, remained attached to the character, telling Agence France-Presse in 2013 that he was "the greatest big-screen villain of all time".
Since the release of the original Star Wars trilogy, he had travelled the world meeting hardcore fans.
Even though he was famous for playing the role of Darth Vader, he said he was most proud of playing the Green Cross Code Man, which earned him an Order of the British Empire for promoting road safety in Britain.
American actor Mark Hamill, who played Darth Vader's son Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film series, has paid tribute to Prowse on social media.
Hamill, 69, wrote: "So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader... He loved his fans as much as they loved him."
Prowse left behind his wife Norma Scammell and three children.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE