David Prowse, the original Darth Vader, reportedly died of COVID-19

The man behind Darth Vader’s intimidating black helmet, actor David Prowse, has died at the age of 85 — reportedly from COVID-19. The imposing six-and-half-foot star of the original Star Wars trilogy was coping not only with the Coronavirus but with Alzheimer’s disease as well. Notably, it was Prowse who filled the villain Vader’s shoes (literally) while James Earl Jones provided the character’s voice.

U.K. paper The Sun spoke with Prowse’s daughter, who revealed that COVID restrictions meant that she was unable to visit with her father in hospital to say a final goodbye. She was, however, uplifted by a meeting she had with his care team after her father’s death. “When we went to collect his stuff from the hospital, the nurse said what a cool guy he was,” she said. “He was such a larger-than-life character. He would have loved to see himself trending on Twitter.”

While Darth Vader will be remembered as one of the most terrifying villains in film history, Prowse’s daughter said that underneath the helmet, her dad was a gem. “He might have looked quite scary but as a person he was a sweet, kind and generous man,” she told the paper. “He really was a gentle giant. And to us he was our dad.”

Prowse’s colleagues obviously agree. Many of them chimed in on social media, expressing both regrets and respect for the actor and former weightlifting champ. Luke Skywalker himself (aka Mark Hamill) celebrated Prowse for the work he did beyond Star Wars.

William Shatner posted a lighthearted tribute to Prowse, who he called his “Twitter friend.”

And Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in both the original films and in The Rise of Skywalker, expressed his grief over the loss of his friend.

George Lucas, the man responsible for dreaming up Vader and the entire Star Wars universe, also took time to pay tribute to Prowse, writing that, “David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character. He made Vader leap off the page and onto the big screen, with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader’s presence. David was up for anything and contributed to the success of what would become a memorable, tragic figure. May he rest in peace.”

Prowse was also notable for his work in training Christopher Reeve to play Superman and for featuring opposite Third Doctor John Pertwee in Doctor Who. For Star Wars, Lucas gave Prowse the choice between playing Vader or playing Chewbacca. When asked why he went with Darth, he replied, “Everyone remembers the villain.”

Before you go: YouTuber 'The Hacksmith' shows off his real-life lightsaber

[video_embed id='2069565']Before you go: YouTuber 'The Hacksmith' shows off his real-life lightsaber[/video_embed]