Rest in Peace David Prowse

The actor who literally embodied the greatest movie villain of all time has passed away. David Prowse, who famously wore the costume and played the role of Darth Vader in the original three Star Wars movies, has died at the age of 85, following a short illness.

Prowse, discovered by Star Wars creator George Lucas after seeing him in a small role in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, was physically perfect to don the iconic Darth Vader costume, as he stood 6’6” tall and was a bodybuilder. Prowse played the role in all three movies that featured Vader, Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Even though he’s not as recognizable as actor James Earl Jones, who voiced Vader, Prowse was the one who literally brought one of the greatest screen villains to life, a character that will go down as one of the most iconic in movie history.

Read the full Rolling Stone obituary for David Prowse right here.