Star Wars ' Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and More Lead Tributes to Dave Prowse: 'He Was a Kind Man'

David Prowse's fans and famous friends are mourning his death. He was 85.

On Sunday, the English actor's agent, Thomas Bowington, told the BBC that Prowse died after a brief illness. Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, announced in 2014 that he had dementia and also battled prostate cancer, according to The Washington Post.

After news of his death was made public, Prowse was honored by former costars and fellow actors on social media.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film series, shared a heartfelt tribute alongside some photos of Prowse.

"So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader," Hamill wrote on Twitter. "Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him. #RIP."

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Another Star Wars star, Billy Dee Williams, shared a statement on Instagram and Twitter, writing, "Incredibly sad to hear David Prowse has passed. It was a great gift to work with him and an honor to call him my friend."

Joe Manganiello touched on Prowse's iconic role as Darth Vader. While James Earl Jones voiced Vader's iconic lines, it was Prowse who wore the villainous black mask and helmet in the original Star Wars trilogy.

"David Prowse as Darth Vader was BRILLIANT. He was so unbelievably magical in that suit. I’ve watched Empire so many times with the sound off just to watch how he moved. His physical choices were as iconic as James’ voice to me & aside from all of that he was such a nice man. RIP," Manganiello wrote.

Star Trek director William Shatner remembered Prowse as a "giant among men."

"Saddened to wake up to the news that my Twitter friend David Prowse passed away," he wrote. "David, a literal giant among men, played many roles in his career. His most famous role was being the misunderstood father who tried to give the universe to his very disobedient twins. #DarthVader."

The Peter Mayhew Foundation — which honors the late actor who portrayed Chewbacca in Star Wars — wrote, "RIP Dave Prowse. I hope you’re up there sharing a pint and a story with the boys. #DarthVader #DaveProwse #RIPDaveProwse #StarWars."

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The Lord of The Rings star Elijah Wood evoked one of Stars Wars' iconic lines to honor Prowse. "May the force be with you, David Prowse," he wrote.

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas shared a similar tribute on his Twitter.

Stanley Kubrick's official Twitter page also paid tribute to Prowse, who worked with the late director on A Clockwork Orange. They shared an old quote from Prowse who said that Kubrick helped open doors for him in his acting career.

"I’d worked in A Clockwork Orange with Stanley Kubrick and, since Stanley was such a prestigious director, this opened up all sorts of doors for me.' David Prowse, 1 July, 1935 - 28 November, 2020," the page shared.

Prowse's agent, Bowington, announced the sad news to the world on social media, writing on Twitter: "It is with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and millions of fans around the world, to announce that our client DAVID PROWSE M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85."

Aside from the Star Wars universe, Prowse was a successful bodybuilder who competed against and became friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hulk star Lou Ferrigno. His attention turned to acting when he was asked to portray Frankenstein's Creature in the 1967 Bond send-up Casino Royale and later reprised the role twice in Hammer horror films.

Besides acting, Prowse served as the physical trainer for Christopher Reeve during his Superman bulk-up as well as training Vanessa Redgrave and Daniel Day-Lewis.

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