David Prowse
The towering physical presence inside Darth Vader's suit, whose voice was famously replaced, creating one of cinema's great behind-the-mask performances.
1935–2020 (age 85)·English actor, bodybuilder and weightlifter·Birthday: July 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Prowse was a mountain of a man long before he stepped into a galaxy far, far away. A champion British weightlifter and a fixture on the UK's strongman circuit, he brought a formidable, imposing physicality to every role. His work as the benevolent Green Cross Code Man, a road safety superhero for British children, showcased his gentle side, but it was his casting as Darth Vader that etched him into cultural history. For three films, Prowse's 6-foot-6 frame provided the Sith Lord's terrifying posture and movement, though his West Country accent was famously dubbed over by James Earl Jones. This decision, and later a falling out with Lucasfilm, left him with a complex legacy, but his contribution was undeniable: he built Vader's body language from the ground up. In his later years, he embraced his place in the Star Wars saga, a beloved figure at conventions, remembered as the man who gave the dark lord his walk.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1935, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1953Could vote
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Turned 21
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Turned 30
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 40
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 50
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 60
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 70
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 80
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2020Died at 85
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Physically portrayed Darth Vader in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, defining the character's iconic stature and movement.
- Won the British heavyweight weightlifting championship three times.
- Played the popular children's safety character the Green Cross Code Man in UK public information films.
- Appeared as Julian, the manservant, in Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971).
Did You Know?
He was offered the choice of playing either Chewbacca or Darth Vader and chose Vader because 'you always remember the villain.'
He was a fitness trainer for actors including Christopher Reeve for his Superman role.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000.
The line 'No, I am your father' was famously kept from him during filming; he said 'Obi-Wan killed your father.'
“I am Darth Vader. I'm the man inside the suit.”
