In Memory of David Prowse (1935-2020)

David Prowse (1935-2020)

To the millions of Star Wars fans, it is with sorrow that we report the passing of David Prowse, the man who embodied the iconic villain Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, on November 28, 2020, following a brief illness. He was 85 years old.

While James Earl Jones is known to have provided the voice of Vader, Prowse's imposing six-foot-six-inch physical stature suits him well in the role of the Sith Lord, formerly known as Anakin Skywalker.

He began as a bodybuilder and competed at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Great Britain, for which he won the British heavyweight weightlifting championship. After competing in weightlifting for several years, Prowse got his first screen role (albeit uncredited) in the 1967 James Bond spoof "Casino Royale," where he played Frankenstein's Monster. David later reprised the role in two Hammer films in the early 1970s, "Horror of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell."

Prowse was the centre of attention for an up-and-coming filmmaker, George Lucas, who had seen him in a small role as a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." He asked David to audition for either Chewbacca or Darth Vader in his original 1977 sci-fi movie "Star Wars." However, Prowse opted for the latter, while the former went to Peter Mayhew, not knowing he would play a masked character. American actor James Earl Jones famously dubbed the voice of Vader, whose booming voice was deemed more suitable than Prowse's West Country accent.

He returns as Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." He eventually shared the suit with British Olympic fencer Bob Anderson, who did much of the lightsaber duels when Prowse failed to do it convincingly. When British actor Sebastian Shaw portrayed Anakin Skywalker at the end of "Return of the Jedi," Vader was unmasked. At one point in 1978, Prowse accidentally blurted out that Darth Vader was Luke's father, which the actor claimed was a lucky guess and had not yet become public knowledge until the release of "The Empire Strikes Back." It strained his relationship with George Lucas and his production company, Lucasfilm. Prowse was a regular at several fan conventions but faced official bans from many Star Wars conventions due to his earlier controversies, until ill health forced him to retire from them in 2016.

Prowse also starred in movies such as "Vampire Circus" and "The People That Time Forgot," as well as TV shows including "The Saint," "Doctor Who," "Space 1999," and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." He also appeared in two Star Wars-related documentaries, "Elstree 1976" and "I Am Your Father." The latter of which details his relationship with working on Star Wars.

All I can say is, Dave, wherever you are, you created one of the most iconic movie villains in history, and you are now one with the Force.

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In Memory of Sean Connery (1930-2020)

Sean Connery (1930-2020)

Regrettably, I must inform you of the passing of Sean Connery. The Scottish-born actor, renowned for his iconic portrayal of James Bond, has passed away. He was 90 years old. He had long regarded himself as one of the best actors to have played the famous British secret agent in seven films, instantly skyrocketing him into fame as one of the franchise's enduringly popular international stars. His son, Jason, said he had been ill for some time. This illness led to his death during an overnight sleep in the Bahamas. There, he is surrounded by those he loves. The fans consider Sean to be the best Bond in the series. It has become a defining moment that in the opening scene of the first Bond movie, "Dr. No," Sean Connery introduced the character by saying, "Bond... James Bond."

Regarding the information I learned about Sean, he was born on August 25th, 1930, in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh. He is the son of a Catholic factory worker and a Protestant home cleaner. After leaving school in poverty at age 13, Connery took several odd jobs, including a coffin polisher, milkman, and lifeguard, before enlisting in the Royal Navy. Three years later, his stomach ulcers got him removed from service. After his time in the Navy, he earned a reputation for being a "hard man" when he defended himself from six gang members, who followed him after they tried to steal from his coat. Sean took up bodybuilding and enjoyed football. At one point, he was offered a contract at Manchester United for £25 a week, but he changed his goal to becoming an actor.

In 1953, Connery competed in the Mr Universe competition in London. He started his stage career as a chorus member in the musical "South Pacific." A year later, Connery first appeared as an extra in the film "Lilacs in the Spring" and had some minor television roles. In 1957, Sean landed his first leading role in the BBC's television adaptation of "Blood Money," followed by his first lead role in a B crime movie called "No Road Back." The following year, he would star opposite Lana Turner in "Another Time, Another Place."

He continued to act and perfect his skill. Sean became the focus of attention when producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman approached him. They had acquired the rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and began searching for an actor to play 007. Sean got the part without an audition, and the rest is history. Upon its release, "Dr. No" was an instant success. It propelled him to international stardom. He continued to play the agent in four consecutive films in the series, such as "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," and "You Only Live Twice." In 1967, when "You Only Live Twice" was finished, Connery was tired of Bond and afraid of being typecast. He refused to return in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," with the role later given to Australian actor George Lazenby. In 1971, he returned to play the character in "Diamonds Are Forever" after being offered a record $1.25 million by Broccoli and Saltzman. Though a great deal of money would later tempt him to portray the character in 1983's "Never Say Never Again."

Outside of portraying 007, Connery had a long and distinguished career in films, beginning in the mid-1960s and continuing into the early 1970s, with roles in "Marnie," "The Hill," "A Fine Madness," "Shalako," and "The Molly Maguires." In 1974, he appeared in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy movie "Zardoz," which was a huge misstep. Sean was to earn a supporting role in a film adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery novel "Murder on the Orient Express." His career continued to flourish in 1975 with films such as "The Wind and the Lion" and "The Man Who Would Be King," in which he starred alongside his friend Michael Caine. In 1976, he starred opposite Audrey Hepburn as the aging Robin Hood in the film "Robin and Marian." But while the movie was not an instant success, it solidified his reputation as a versatile and serious screen actor. In the late 1970s, a series of setbacks occurred for Sean, including "A Bridge Too Far," "Cuba," and "Meteor," but he did earn another hit movie from Terry Gilliam, "Time Bandits." His box office reputation would improve in films such as "Highlander" (except in the U.S.), "Name of the Rose," and "The Untouchables." The latter of which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1989, Connery was paired with Harrison Ford when director Steven Spielberg cast him as Indiana Jones's father (despite being 12 years older) in "The Last Crusade." Sean went on to star in notable successes like "The Hunt for Red October," "The Russia House," "Dragonheart," "The Rock," "Entrapment," and "Finding Forrester," as well as failures like "First Knight," "The Avengers," and his very last film, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

Connery retired from live acting in 2005. However, he has also done voice work, including as Bond in the video game adaptation of "From Russia with Love." He even voiced the title character in the animated short "Sir Billi the Vet" and later reprised the role in 2010 for "Sir Billi," which he also executive-produced. Queen Elizabeth II knighted Sean in 2000. His first marriage was to Australian actress Diane Cilento in 1962, culminating in the birth of his only son, Jason Connery, and they divorced in 1973.

We'll miss you, Sean, and wherever you are, you will always be my favourite James Bond!

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