Star Wars is a universe with many aspects to highlight, but if there is one that deserves its own category, it is the character of Darth Vader. Before the prequels and young Anakin Skywalker, all we had was a walking tower in black armor, with a certain preference for torture and a voice capable of knocking down walls. That voice belongs to none other than James Earl Jones, but underneath that dubbing was the British actor and bodybuilder David Prowse. Standing nearly two meters tall and with extensive weight-lifting experience, Prowse was ideal to embody Vader...
A Career Before Star Wars
Have you seen A Clockwork Orange? If not, you have a pending task, but to continue I must share a small spoiler: when Alex ends up injured in the house of Mr. Alexander, he is picked up like a rag doll by his bodyguard, Julian. That almost two-meter hulk is David Prowse, a respected weightlifter and English bodybuilder. Besides having his own acting career, Prowse trained other actors for very demanding roles, including Christopher Reeve as Superman, and Cary Elwes, the eternal Westley in The Princess Bride.
The Voice of Darth Vader (or not)
However, in 1978 he had the enormous opportunity to enter the Star Wars universe lending his body, and although many do not believe it, his voice to the relentless Darth Vader. In fact, Prowse performed all the dialogue during filming, but Lucas came to the conclusion that he wanted a darker and more threatening voice for Darth Vader. Prowse's Bristol accent was very strong, and Carrie Fisher admitted that during filming they had nicknamed him "Darth Farmer" because of it. The low blow was that Prowse was never warned about the imminent dubbing, a supposed decision by Lucas himself.
The Complications of Return of the Jedi
Another critical moment when Prowse was replaced was during the duel between Vader and Luke in Return of the Jedi. Prowse had not received instructions as a swordsman, and broke several of the poles that served as lightsabers. The scenes were handled by choreographer and fencing coach Bob Anderson, leaving Prowse aside.
Apparently, Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand lost a week trying to film (and failing) the scene in which Vader throws Palpatine into the void, and it was only possible with Prowse's return. As if that were not enough, Prowse insists that Lucas had guaranteed that he would be the one to develop Vader's "death" without the mask, with his face and original voice, but he was replaced by actor Sebastian Shaw, filming that famous scene in absolute secrecy.
Feuds and a Lifetime Ban
Prowse never strayed from Star Wars. His presence in the convention world is well documented, and he even participated in the official Star Wars Celebration event in 2007, which marked the thirtieth anniversary of the saga. Still, not everything was rosy. Prowse said he had a dispute with Lucas over an alleged leak of Vader's death to the press before the release of 'Return,' being the reason for his replacement at the end.
He was also critical of the prequel trilogy in 2005, which he called "out of context" regarding special effects. And in 2009 he spoke about money: Prowse said his contract for 'Return' had a clause that allowed him access to a share of the profits, but thanks to "Hollywood accounting", he didn't see a cent (the same happened to Shaw).
The definitive break occurred in 2010, when George Lucas ordered that Prowse not be allowed entry to any official convention... for life. What was the reason? From Lucasfilm's point of view, Prowse had simply "had burned too many bridges". Want to know more about him? Look up the Spanish documentary "I Am Your Father" by Toni Bestard and Marcos Cabotá. It's a good starting point.
