David Prowse, MBE, born on 1st July 1935 in Bristol, England UK, is an actor probably best known to the world as Darth Vader in his physical form, despite never being seen without the Darth Vader mask. He was the original Darth Vader in the original trilogy, but was never recalled for the reunions of the films. David has also made several other notable appearances, including as Julian in “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), among many others.
Have you ever wondered how rich David Prowse is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that David`s net worth is as high as $3 million, earned through his successful career in the entertainment industry, during which he has made over 60 film and television appearances during a career now spanning 60 years. David was also a known bodybuilder and weightlifter, and in the past has won the British heavyweight weightlifting title, and also has a gym – “The Dave Prowse Fitness Centre” – in London.
David Prowse Net Worth $3 Million
David was raised by his mother, and never met his father who left the family before he was even born. Growing up in a working family, David soon obtained working habits, and although an under performing student in school, he took weightlifting and bodybuilding as his call. Little by little he was progressing, and eventually became a British champion in weightlifting. While being a competitor at weightlifting events, he befriended, among others Arnold Schwarzenegger and the two became lifelong friends. Thanks to his height and overall towering stature, he was offered a role in the film “Casino Royale” (1967) as Frankenstein`s Monster, and of course accepted the role, so his acting career began. Before the`60s ended, he made several brief appearances in such productions as David Miller`s “Hammerhead” (1968) with Vince Edwards and Judy Geeson, “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1968), and “Crossplot” (1969); his net worth was established.
He began the `70s again as a monster, in “The Horror of Frankenstein” (1970), and in 1971 featured in Stanley Kubrick`s “A Clockwork Orange”, starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates. The next year he appeared in “The Chastity Belt”, and continued to make steady appearances through the 1970s in such productions as “Black Snake” (1973), “Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell” (1974), “Jabberwocky” (1977), and in 1977 was firstly selected for the role of Darth Vader in “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977), presenting his physical form. He portrayed Darth Vader in the sequels “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), and “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983). This particular role is the hallmark of his career, and has certainly benefited his net worth to a great degree.
After the fallout with producers and the rest of the staff of “Star Wars”, David began slowly to retreat from the acting scene, but still made several screen appearances, including in the “William Tell” TV series in 1989, and years later in the film “The Kindness of Strangers” (2010). He also made an appearance in the TV mini-series “Mission Backup Earth” in 2016, however, his role as Darth Vader remains as his most successful one to the present.
Regarding his personal life, David has been married to Norma since 1963; the couple has three children together. Prowse has had several health problems over the years, battling arthritis for much of his life, while in 2009 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but has managed to overcome the illness.
Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, A Clockwork Orange, I Am Your Father, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, The Horror of Frankenstein, Jabberwocky, Vampire Circus, The People That Time Forgot, Black Snake, The Making of Star Wars, Saving Star Wars, Up the Chastity Belt, Wh...
TV Shows
Star Wars Holiday Special, Mission Backup Earth
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Trademark
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Darth Vader in the Star Wars films
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Towering height and muscular physique
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Quote
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[on being replaced as the face of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)] Everybody comes up and says, 'It wasn't you they unmasked as Darth Vader, was it?' and I say, 'Well, no, it wasn't actually.' The guy that played Darth Vader was a guy called Sebastian Shaw and Sebastian Shaw was a good friend of Alec Guinness's and, by all accounts, he was out of work. He'd been out of work for a long period and he was having a bad time financially. And he said to Sir Alec, 'Could you do me a favour?' He said, 'I'm destitute. Is there any chance of you having a word with George Lucas to see if there's a possibility of a part in this movie?' So Alec had a word with George and George said, 'The only part we can offer you is the dying Darth Vader.' And all this was done without me knowing anything about it. I mean, I'm watching the movie and they unmask somebody completely different and then you sort of think, 'Well, why wasn't that me?' But then, when you learn how it all came about, you know, if it helped him in any way, then all well and good. But everybody comes up to me and says, 'Why wasn't it you that was unmasked as Darth Vader?' And I say, 'I'll tell you about it later.'
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[on missing out on payments for his Darth Vader performance] I get these occasional letters from Lucasfilm saying that we regret to inform you that as Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) has never gone into profit, we've got nothing to send you.
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(2010) On his fight with prostate cancer: "I've won the fight and I'm feeling better than ever. Everyone was shocked by how well it all (treatment) went".
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[Asked if during the making of the original Star Wars trilogy at any point, did he feel claustrophobic due to the mask and suit completely covering his whole body while at Collectormania 10 at Milton Keynes] "The suit was made to fit and was very, very comfortable, so no I didn't feel at all claustrophobic, but the only problem I did experience was that in the mask I got very, very hot!"
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[on his work as the Green Cross Code Man]: "Best job I've ever had."
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[on having to choose between playing Darth Vader and Chewbacca in "Star Wars"]: I took the part of the villain because everyone remembers the villain.
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Fact
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A friend of David Jason since the beginning of Jason's TV career.
Attended Collectormania 7 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. [May 2005]
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Celebrity attraction at Toys4BigBoys in Dublin, Ireland. [November 2009]
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Currently lives in Croydon, London, England. [February 2004]
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Has a passion for motorcycles and in his early career owned many.
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Diagnosed with prostate cancer in early 2009. Announced in February 2010 that he had made a full recovery following intensive radio therapy at a London hospital.
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In Casino Royale (1967), he plays a character known only as "Sir". He looks like Frankenstein's Creature, but is never called or credited as such. "Sir" is only in the film a few seconds.
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Played part of the aide to Patrick Magee's character in the movie A Clockwork Orange (1971). He was chosen due to the fact that he was able to lift and carry the wheelchair-bound Magee. He said that the director was not known as "one-take Kubrick" and he had to repeat the scene multiple times. At one point, the shooting was halted because the recording technician said that there was a strange noise in the last take. This was discovered to be due to a microphone that was on David and picking up his accelerated heartbeat and heavier breathing.
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His performance as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy is ranked #84 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
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Before he entered films, he was a hardworking apprentice engineer at BOAC in Bristol.
He was barred from doing the lightsaber duels in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) because he kept breaking the poles that stood in for the laser blades during the first film. The lightsaber duels in the sequels were instead done by Bob Anderson, the swordmaster who handled the lightsaber choreography; in order to make up for the height difference, Bob Anderson wore platform shoes and was often filmed from low angles.
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Despite the fame of Darth Vader, Prowse says that the role he is most proud of is the Green Cross Code Man.
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He was the special guest at the first sci-fi convention in the northwest (England) at Lancaster and Morecambe College on 3rd October 2004.
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He was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2000 Queen's Millennium Honours List for his services to charity and road safety.
Attended Bristol Grammar School in Bristol, England. Actors Julian Glover and Timothy West were in the same year there.
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Attended the I Central American Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) Convention at Guatemala City, Guatemala on July 27-28, 2002, to talk about his character (Darth Vader) on the first Star Wars trilogy, along with Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett).
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Once complained in an interview that he felt he "wasn't getting any publicity" for his work as Darth Vader.
Appeared as a strongman in the famous "Wishing Well" sketch from the first season of The Benny Hill Show (1969), which was used by the show's American syndicator to pitch the program to U.S. television stations.
Owned a gym "The Dave Prowse Fitness Centre" in London, England. His brother Bob Prowse used to manage it for him before opening his own Health Club in Maidstone.
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Was the Green Cross Code Man, a character used to teach [British] children how to cross the road safely.