David Prowse

Biography

David Prowse was an English actor, bodybuilder and weightlifter who became known for playing Darth Vader across the original Star Wars trilogy. Born in Bristol, he first made his name in weightlifting, winning the British heavyweight championship in 1962. In the UK he was familiar as the Green Cross Man, a road safety superhero for children, a campaign that ran from 1971 to 1990 and led to an MBE in 2000. On screen he appeared as Julian, a manservant, in A Clockwork Orange (1971), and played Frankenstein's monster in The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), as well as a circus strongman in Vampire Circus (1972). He had a small part in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981). He also portrayed Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). In 2015 he appeared in the documentaries I Am Your Father and The Force's Mouth. He died in 2020.

85years old at death

Born July 1, 1935Bristol
Died November 28, 2020London
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
David Charles Prowse (birth name)Also credited as Dave Prowse

Movie Career

Films: 13
Career span: 48 years1967 to 2015

Genres

Adventure38%, 5 films
Sci-Fi38%, 5 films
Fantasy31%, 4 films
Action23%, 3 films
Documentary23%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Prowse lacked sword-fighting skill and often snapped the staves that stood in for lightsabers, so Bob Anderson, the stuntman and fencing coach who choreographed the fights, took his place in the Vader and Luke Skywalker lightsaber scenes.
A role that slipped away
Prowse said he came close to playing Jaws in James Bond, a part Richard Kiel ultimately got, and that he was offered Conan the Barbarian before Arnold Schwarzenegger.

David Prowse movies on Netflix

Elstree 19762015IMDb rating 5.9as Himself
I Am Your Father2015IMDb rating 6.5as Himself
The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2as Himself
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3as Darth Vader
Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0as Himself / Darth Vader
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy1981IMDb rating 8.0as Bodyguard
The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7as Darth Vader
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6as Darth Vader
The People That Time Forgot1977IMDb rating 5.4as Executioner
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell1974IMDb rating 6.2as Monster
Vampire Circus1972IMDb rating 6.3as Strongman
The Horror of Frankenstein1970IMDb rating 5.8as The Monster
Deadly Sweet1967IMDb rating 5.5as Jelly-Roll's Partner

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Empire Strikes Back1980 Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fias Darth Vader
IMDb rating 8.71.5M votes
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977 Action, Adventure, Fantasyas Darth Vader
IMDb rating 8.61.6M votes
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983as Darth Vader
IMDb rating 8.31.2M votes
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell1974as Monster
IMDb rating 6.25.2K votes
I Am Your Father2015as Himself
IMDb rating 6.51.9K votes
Elstree 19762015as Himself
IMDb rating 5.91.6K votes
The Horror of Frankenstein1970as The Monster
IMDb rating 5.83.4K votes
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy1981as Bodyguard
IMDb rating 8.013K votes

Most often with

Seven actors appear in five of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Mark Hamill

Harrison Ford

Carrie Fisher

Anthony Daniels

Jeremy Bulloch

Kenny Baker

Films together

Mark Hamill5 films together, 1977 to 1999
Mark Hamill's page
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfHamill as Himself
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3Prowse as Darth VaderHamill as Luke Skywalker
- Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0Prowse as Himself / Darth VaderHamill as Himself / Luke Skywalker
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderHamill as Luke Skywalker
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6Prowse as Darth VaderHamill as Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford5 films together, 1977 to 1999
Harrison Ford's page
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfFord as Himself
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3Prowse as Darth VaderFord as Han Solo
- Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0Prowse as Himself / Darth VaderFord as Himself / Han Solo
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderFord as Han Solo
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6Prowse as Darth VaderFord as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher5 films together, 1977 to 1999
Carrie Fisher's page
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfFisher as Himself
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3Prowse as Darth VaderFisher as Princess Leia
- Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0Prowse as Himself / Darth VaderFisher as Herself / Princess Leia
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderFisher as Princess Leia
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6Prowse as Darth VaderFisher as Princess Leia Organa
Anthony Daniels5 films together, 1977 to 1999
Anthony Daniels's page
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfDaniels as Himself
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3Prowse as Darth VaderDaniels as C-3PO
- Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0Prowse as Himself / Darth VaderDaniels as C-3PO
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderDaniels as C-3PO
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6Prowse as Darth VaderDaniels as C-3PO
Jeremy Bulloch5 films together, 1980 to 2015
Jeremy Bulloch's page
- Elstree 19762015IMDb rating 5.9Prowse as HimselfBulloch as Himself
- I Am Your Father2015IMDb rating 6.5Prowse as HimselfBulloch as Himself
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfBulloch as Himself
- Return of the Ewok1982IMDb rating 6.0Prowse as Himself / Darth VaderBulloch as Boba Fett
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderBulloch as Boba Fett
Kenny Baker5 films together, 1977 to 2015
Kenny Baker's page
- I Am Your Father2015IMDb rating 6.5Prowse as HimselfBaker as Himself
- The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story1999IMDb rating 5.2Prowse as HimselfBaker as Himself
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983IMDb rating 8.3Prowse as Darth VaderBaker as R2-D2 / Paploo
- The Empire Strikes Back1980IMDb rating 8.7Prowse as Darth VaderBaker as R2-D2
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope1977IMDb rating 8.6Prowse as Darth VaderBaker as R2-D2
Also five films together1 more actor
- Peter MayhewThe Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Return of the Ewok (1982), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

One award and honor.

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David Prowse's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
	Member of the Order of the British Empire		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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