WhileJames Earl Jonesmay be the actor best associated Darth Vader, the baritone thespian only ever lent his voice to the formidableStar Warsvillain. On set, several actors have donned the iconic Sith’s suit, includingHayden ChristenseninRevenge of the SithandObi-Wan Kenobi, andDaniel NaprousinRogue One. Vader’s original actor, who even preceded James Earl Jones' voice casting, wasDavid Prowse— an English bodybuilder-turned-actor who wore the suit in all three of the original trilogy’s films.
At the end ofReturn of the Jedi, however, when Luke takes off Vader’s helmet to reveal the redeemed villain’s face, it is conspicuously not Prowse’s mug underneath the mask. Instead, the face belongs to English stage actorSebastian Shaw,who delivers Vader’s final and only unmasked lines. Even though Vader’s face was a mystery beforeReturn of the Jedi, the recasting is still conspicuous, especially given thatGeorge Lucaswas already paying Prowse for the part. History suggests that the decision was not made solely for financial or even dramatic purposes, but rather out of spite, being the product of longstanding and lasting tension between the actor and director.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
After rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.
David Prowse Provided Darth Vader’s Enormous Stature
Prowse’s size landed him the job as Vader. Being a formerBritish heavyweight championand boasting a height over 6 feet, Prowse was offered to play either the main villain inStar Wars,or something called a Wookie— he opted for the former. InA New Hope, he recited all the dialogue from behind Vader’s mask, putting on a convincing villainous tone,albeit in his distinctive Bristolian accent. While there is some speculation that Prowse did not know his voice would be dubbed over during filming, the actor recounted in aninterview at 2016’s Awesome Conthat he assumed there would be a dub from the raw footage, but expected that he would be the one to re-record his own lines. However, once shooting wrapped, the crew left London to do post-production in Hollywood, and it was too expensive for them to fly Prowse out to finish the job. Thus, they hired James Earl Jones for the part, and while Prowse pays deference to Jones' performance, he asserts that he could have done the job just as well.
Prowse Unintentionally Spoiled ‘Empire Strikes Back’… or Did He?
The Prowse-Lucas tension, did not begin with the unanticipated recasting, though. AfterStar Warsreleased and became a global phenomenon in 1977, a sequel was greenlit, and Prowse (along with the rest of the cast) started doing press. During a 1978 visit to Berkeley, Prowse talked about what fans could expect in the upcoming sequel, and wasparaphrased in theSan Francisco Examineras noting that Darth Vader would be revealed as Luke Skywalker’s long-lost father. In a direct quote, theExaminerarticle ends with Prowse explaining, “Father can’t kill son, son can’t kill father. So they live again to star inStar Wars IV.”
Obviously, telling fans that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father in 1978 would have spoiled one of the biggest twists in cinema history. As straightforward as the article appears, however, there is question to its journalistic integrity. In the 2015 documentaryI Am Your Father, Prowse explains that his comments at Berkeley were mere speculation, and that he had not even seen a script forThe Empire Strikes Backat the time. Considering that the article came out in July of ‘78 and thatLucas didn’t complete the screenplay until August of that same year, it seems Prowse has a credible alibi.
George Lucas Helped Complete This Star Wars Parody
The Star Wars creator made sure the Force was with this film project.
Moreover, even once the “I am your Father” line was penned,it was kept a secret. Among the cast, onlyMark Hamillknew about the reveal. On set, Prowse had to recite the line “Obi-Wan killed your father” in lieu of the actual twist.Lucas allegedly didn’t trust Prowse(or anyone else) with knowledge of the actual line, which Jones only delivered in post. However, the fact that Lucas kept it secretive up through the filming all but confirms that Prowse was only guessing at plot points when he made his 1978 comments at Berkeley.
‘Return of the Jedi’ Miscommunication Leads to Recasting and Estrangement
A similar incident occurred between the releases ofEmpireandReturn of the Jedi.According toDen of Geek, Prowse was being interviewed about his body building career in the early 1980s when the subject shifted toStar Wars. By Prowse’s recount, the interviewer was the one who suggested to him that he would be killed off at the end of the third film, and though Prowse allegedly claimed ignorance, the reporter leaked the villain’s fate in The Daily Mail the next day. This is where George Lucas, who had grown increasingly protective of his story on set, lost patience with Prowse. Once the incident with the reporter happened, he was kept in the dark, and the unmasking scene was shot without the rest of the cast even knowing about it. Adding insult to injury, Prowse claims thathe never received payment forReturn of the Jedi.
David Prowse Made His Mark on Hollywood Beyond Star Wars
Nowadays, it’s expected that actors keep tight-lipped about all potential plot lines and spoilers related to an upcoming franchise installment — most of them even sign nondisclosure agreements before filming. However, the originalStar Warstrilogy came out during the blockbuster cycle’s infancy.The mere idea of a cinematic spoilerwas a novelty at the time, so even in the far-fetched chance that Prowse did run his tongue, perhaps one can be empathetic to his ignorance. After all, it is not as ifEmpire Strikes BackorReturn of the Jediare any less significant or quality of films because of a few slip-ups the Darth Vader actor might’ve made back in the ’70s and ’80s.
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