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Dave Prowse, the Bristolian former bodybuilder best known for playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died aged 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."
Mr Bowington called the actor's death, after a short illness, "a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world".
Definitive presence
Prowse's career as an actor spanned 50 years, but it was his role as the Sith Lord in Star Wars that brought him international fame.
Unfortunately, his West Country accent was not deemed suitable for the part of a menacing Hollywood villain and his lines were dubbed.
However, Prowse was a definitive presence in all three of the early films, thanks to his hulking 6ft 6in (1.98 m) frame, honed by the weightlifting skills which saw him represent England at the Commonwealth Games in the early 1960s.
During this period, he reportedly became close friends with rival bodybuilding competitors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno (later better known as TV's Incredible Hulk) - long before their on-screen fame.
Even before he began acting, Prowse found success in Hollywood circles, preparing the late Christopher Reeve for the physical demands of his role as Superman, as the actor's personal trainer.
Prowse made his film debut in 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale playing Frankenstein's Creature, a part he was asked to play again in two films from the iconic Hammer film series, 1970's Horror Of Frankenstein and 1974's Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.
He also regularly featured on cult series such as The Saint, Space 1999 and Doctor Who, in which he was cast as a minotaur in the 1972 episode The Time Monster, opposite Jon Pertwee.
Spotted by director George Lucas in the 1971 film Clockwork Orange, in which he played a bodyguard, Prowse was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.
He later told the BBC's Tanya Beckett, he chose Vader over Chewbacca because ''you always remember the bad guys.''
With the success of Star Wars, Prowse became a regular on the fan circuit and attended conventions around the world for almost 40 years, but he was rumoured to have later fallen out with director Lucas and was banned from official events in 2010.
Despite the enduring clamour for Star Wars, the actor always maintained that playing the Green Cross Code Man, which he first portrayed in 1975, was the "best job I ever had".
Dressed in a distinctive green and white superhero suit, he became the face of British road safety for more than a decade, known for his catchphrase "Stop, look and listen".
Brought up in Bristol, he spent his later years living in Croydon "a loving husband, father and grandfather".
His autobiography Straight from the Force's Mouth was published in 2011.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
I don't want to detract from your unfortunate passing but here's a silly little anecdote that I've probably already told.
I used to be a guitarist of ill repute. Sex 'n' drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll and the like.
Of course, I'd have liked to have put more emphasis on the sex side of things but that's another story - and I'm still playing catch up.
It's not uncommon for small people, midgets, to be involved in the entertainment industry.
The actor who played R2D2 was a small person (midget) and he lived in Preston.
His son played the drums. The son had many acting aspirations but at the time the drums were his thing. I jammed with him a few times and was at his house. We were going to start a band but it didn't work out as I was more beer 'n' football 'or was it sex 'n' drugs? - can't remember) and he was more acting and the arts.
It was a bit too pretentious for me.
It was very modest house, very nice but not WOW, and lots of things (bathroom etc) were adapted to his father's size.
It's a nice memory. Thanks Chris (I wonder what became of you - I'll have a look on the internet) and you dad R2D2.
The rest of you are probably asleep after that little tale.
Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
Rather than put me to sleep Spell, I think that's an awesome story. I actually have a story about Dave Prowse that was told to me, but for legal reasons I can't post it here. (Actually I can't remember the whole story now )
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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