The death of David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has led to a number of tributes to the English actor and his contribution to the franchise. Prowse passed away yesterday at the age of 85 after a short illness, and it has now been revealed via family that COVID-19 was one of the complicating factors. Given the impact that the virus has had on the elderly across the UK, Prowse is sadly just one of many whose health was severely affected this year.
Speaking to UK newspapers, Prowse’s daughter Rachel explained that he had been hospitalized for the past two weeks, meaning they were unable to visit and say their goodbyes. The former bodybuilder and actor was also suffering from Alzheimer’s, making it even more tragic that COVID restrictions prevented family visits, and there will need to be a delay before arranging a large memorial service. However, Rachel Prowse did note the impact her father had on his carers:
“It’s horrible that Covid restrictions meant we did not get to see him and say goodbye. 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.”
Prowse was born in Bristol in 1935, and at 6 foot 6 inches tall represented an imposing figure who’d later add power to Darth Vader’s physique. As a bodybuilder, he became the British heavyweight weightlifting champion for the first time in 1962, before going on to play extensive supporting roles in British film and television. In addition, he was well-known as the Green Cross Code Man, a superhero created to promote road safety.
Cast as the body of Darth Vader in Star Wars, with James Earl Jones providing the voice, Prowse made much of the performance throughout his career, despite a strained relationship with Lucasfilm in his later years. Still, George Lucas and Mark Hamill have been among those paying tribute to David Prowse’s part in bringing the first incarnation of Darth Vader to life in Star Wars and its two initial sequels. Meanwhile, Prowse’s passing comes at a time when COVID-19 continues to disrupt the entertainment industry, with more delays and closures likely to emerge before the end of 2020.
from Movies – We Got This Covered https://ift.tt/3mp8akB
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