David Prowse, the towering English weightlifter and actor who played Darth Vader in the Star Wars trilogy, is dead at 85.
Prowse was cast as Vader for his imposing physique, even though the role was voiced by James Earl Jones. But the weightlifter-turned-actor was most proud of playing the Green Cross Code Man. The role, promoting road safety in the UK, earned him an MBE.
"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."
