LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Dave Prowse, the British actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, has died in a hospital here at the age of 85.
Prowse's agency, Bowington Management, made the announcement on Twitter early Sunday without specifying the cause of death.
Born in Bristol, southwest England, in 1935, Prowse was a competitive weightlifter before making his TV and screen debuts.
His movie roles highlighted tall and powerfully built stature, including a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange," and Darth Vader.
People "always remember the bad guy," Prowse told BBC in a 2013 interview explaining his choice when casting for Star Wars.
Prowse poured his acting behind Darth Vader's black armor and helmet for "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi." The character was then voiced by another actor.
British people also remembered Prowse as a superhero in a government-sponsored ad asking kids to cross the streets in a safer manner.
The Green Cross Man "is the best job I've ever had, including my Star Wars role, and by far my proudest achievement," Prowse said in an essay published by Guardian in 2014.
He is survived by his wife and three children. Enditem
