David Prowse - # 246

Darth Vader actor David Prowse reportedly died from COVID-19

 

He was number 246 on the list.

David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, was suffering from the coronavirus before dying Sunday at age 85, his daughter said in a report.

“It’s horrible that COVID restrictions meant we did not get to see him and say goodbye,” the late actor’s daughter Rachel, 50, told the Sun.

“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 added.

Rachel also confirmed that her dad — a 6-foot-6 former bodybuilder — had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and spent two weeks in a London hospital with COVID-19, according to the news outlet.

“He might have looked quite scary but as a person he was a sweet, kind and generous man,” his daughter said. “He really was a gentle giant. And to us he was our dad.”

Meanwhile, actor Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in the space saga, took to Twitter to remember Prowse.

“So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader,” Hamill wrote. “Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire – 3 time British Weightlifting Champion and Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”

Lucas also posted a touching tribute to the late actor on StarWars.com.

“David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character,” Lucas wrote.

“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,” he continued.

“David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace,” Lucas added.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes    Ref.

1967      Casino Royale    Frankenstein's Creature                Uncredited        

1968      Hammerhead    George                

1970      The Horror of Frankenstein          The Creation                     

1971      Up Pompeii         Muscular Man   Uncredited        

Up the Chastity Belt        Sir Grumbel                       

Carry On Henry Bearded torturer                             

A Clockwork Orange        Julian                    

1972      Vampire Circus Strong man                        

Doctor Who        Minotaur             Episode: "The Time Monster"    

1973      Black Snake        Jonathan Walker                             

White Cargo       Harry                    

1974      Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell                Creation                              

Callan    Arthur                  

1976      Space: 1999        The Creature      Episode: "The Beta Cloud"           

1977      Star Wars             Darth Vader        Voiced by James Earl Jones         

Jabberwocky      Red Herring and Black Knights                   

The People That Time Forgot      Executioner                       

1978      As You Like It (BBC Television Shakespeare)         Charles Credited as Dave Prowse             

1980      The Empire Strikes Back                Darth Vader        Voiced by James Earl Jones         

1983      Return of the Jedi            

2004      Saving Star Wars               Dave Prowse                     

2006      Perfect Woman                 Dr Maurice Hawkins                       

2010      The Kindness of Strangers            Frank Bryan                       

2015      Elstree 1976       Himself                                

2015      I Am Your Father              Himself                                

2015      The Force's Mouth           Himself                 Documentary    

2017      Jayce Lewis – "Shields"   Himself                 Music video