Dave Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader, has died

Prowse died at the age of 85

Dave Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in Star Wars, has died after a short illness.

Prowse was cast to play the iconic villain due to his large physical presence, though it was James Earl Jones who voiced Vader.

“May the force be with him, always!” said his agent Thomas Bowington.

“Though famous for playing many monsters – for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives.”

Bowington also described his death as “a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world”.

Darth Vader is often referred to as one of the most iconic movie villains of all time.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series, said that Prowse loved his fans as much as they loved him.

So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader. Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him. #RIP pic.twitter.com/VbDrGu6iBz

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) November 29, 2020