David Prowse makes Darth Vader frightening through size and deliberate movement. His work deserves its share of the credit, alongside James Earl Jones's voice, though these films tell us little about Prowse as a speaking actor.
Fi1m perspective
Darth Vader's sweeping movements make good use of David Prowse's size inside the costume. He is deliberate enough to let us register the weight of the figure, and that control is the performance's chief strength. We were unnerved by him in Star Wars (1977), because he makes the threat of physical harm so credible. George Lucas keeps the surrounding adventure funny and clear, and its few stiff exchanges are a tolerable price.
Earlier casting had already put his physique to work, as Frankenstein's Creature in Casino Royale (1967) and Julian, a manservant, in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). Vader gave that physical acting sustained use across the original trilogy, from 1977 to 1983. It was also a divided performance: James Earl Jones supplied the dialogue, and praise for the character cannot all be assigned to the man in the suit. These films offer much stronger evidence of Prowse's skill with movement than of what he could do with a spoken line.
We prefer The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which gives him more screen time and places his menace within a richer adventure. Irvin Kershner makes the machinery frightening without letting it crowd out the people, so there is more here to worry about than what Vader might do. A few solemn lessons slow the film, but its action, humour and feeling justify the darker turn. Kershner's attention to the other characters helps Prowse: we care about the people who have to contend with this imposing figure.
His long stint as the Green Cross Code Man, beginning in the mid-1970s, also challenges the idea that his size could only mean menace. There he was a reassuring presence, fronting a road safety campaign for more than a decade. It is useful evidence that he could be cast for something other than a villain or monster, even if Vader remains the substantial film role. Start with Star Wars, then The Empire Strikes Back, and give the man inside the costume his share of the attention.
Biography
David Charles Prowse was an English actor, bodybuilder and weightlifter. Born in Bristol, he became British heavyweight weightlifting champion in the 1960s before beginning an acting career that included stage work and supporting film roles.
He is known for playing the physical form of Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Other credits include the role of Julian in A Clockwork Orange (1971). He also appeared as the Green Cross Code Man in British road safety campaigns aimed at children.
Prowse was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000 for services to charity and road safety. He died in 2020.
