To me, Darth Vader is...

Since David Prowse used to autograph cards as "David Prowse is Darth Vader", I thought it might be interesting to know your reactions. To me, Prowse's acting (or sort of) is the key element in Vader's character, but Jones voice cannot be ignored.

"His abilities has made him arrogant..."

 

To me, the character is mostly in the voice. I didn't realize this until I heard the radio dramas, where a different actor plays Darth Vader. He almost seems like a completely different character.

 

You can have Prowse walking around in the Vader suit...but without hearing the deep voice of Jones he just ain't Vader to me

 

To me they all helped contribute to the character, but it was James Earl Jones' voice that gave Vader his most defining feature.

 

That is true Champion. James Earl Jones will forever be known as Vadar in my opinion. Anyone can play Vadar walking around (Well just as long as he/she is tall). However without the voice of CNN, Vadar is not intimitating.

 

David Prowse on Vader:

"That was really the thing which decided the whole character: the walk. Obviously, I had to act the part out and create it as expressively as possible because everybody else had to react to me. But because there was no expression in the face, it was all done with the body (...) I think I contributed a lot more to Darth Vader than just being able to walk well".

James Earl Jones on Vader:

"George's (Lucas) only instruction to me was 'Be authoritative' (...) I decided to keep all the inflection out of Vader's voice (...) (In ESB) it turned out that it was correct not to give Darth Vader a broad range of human inflection. The challenge was to keep the voice confined to a narrow band".

Sebastian Shaw on Vader:
"(I) played the whole scene through from the moment that he sank down. They used James Earl Jones' voice for one or two of the early bits, and then my voice blended into it (...) I enjoyed the whole experience very much".

Bob Anderson on Vader:

"There is no Darth Vader. There were four. There's one that walks around. The one that did all the action stuff. The one that did the voice. And the one that died. Maybe that's why Darth Vader's so popular".

Mark Hamill on Vader:
"It is ridiculous to try to preserve the myth that it's all done by one man".

 

Uh, Sebastian Shaw. It used to be that I pictured him in the Vader suit in all of the movies. Now, I picture Hayden Christensen.

 

I think David Prowse deserves a lot more credit then what I see. His movements define Vader entirely along with the voice of course. Vader walks very solemn and sturdy. Watch him move up the step in RoTJ after being kicked down by Luke. I know it may sound silly, but I thought it was very interesting and intuative. Also, what about Vader's expressions? Like so many have said on this board, just because there is a mask, we still see expressions. For example, when Vader is caught between Luke and the Emperor, that is a great job there. You can clearly see Vader is troubled and in "conflict." No offense to the other actors, but I only thought it was Prowse and Jones. I felt they are pretty equal.

 

Dave Prowse & Hayden. I can't vote for James because my movies are dubbed into Spanish (but the dubbing is very powerful as well).

 

Darth Vader is getting mad at this confusing thread.

 

Bob Anderson? Yeah I really think of him when I see Vader.

 

Bob Anderson rules!

 

Darth Vader...a character so complex, so powerful and so villainous that it takes four people to play him!

Then again, Sebastian Shaw actually plays Anakin Skywalker. So, that leaves three.

Then again again, since Anakin and Vader are one and the same, that makes six people! What a guy!

 

Yeah, how could Vader not be the greatest character in cinema history? It took more than one person to play him!

But I think Dave Prowse IS Darth Vader. Just the way he walks, stands, puts his hands on his belt, it had to be hard to walk around in that suit.

I just start laughing though when people think James Earl Jones was in the suit.

 

David Prowse ISN'T Darth Vader...Anakin Skywalker is. Prowse is just some guy in a suit pointing at people. I hate how he signs autographs like that. It's like he's trying to prove he really was in the movie business...really!

 

well i dont know if you guys have seen it, but i read in the Insider i think, that Prowse had such an accent that the other actors (fisher, hamill, etc) that they caled him Darth Farmer. the part needed the strong and commanding voice of jones

 

To me Darth Vader is...

Lukes father..


Isnt he??


but in my opinion, Its all about the voice...

Know, it took sound effects to do the breathing.. so that would take at least 2 people.. so now where up to 8 people.

 

Well if Dave Prowse wasn't Darth Vader, I guess Jeremy Bulloch wasn't Boba Fett.

 

When I watch the movies, there are only two things I really notice about Vader. The way he moves and the way he sounds. So to me it's David Prowse and James Earl Jones. No one else.

Endureth

 

To me James Earl Jones is Darth Vader, I mean any tall person could walk around in that Vader suit but the voice is what made him seem so evil.

 

I like David Prowse alot, and played some cool roles other then Darth Vader (which is of course his best and the one he will be remembered for) but JAMES EARL JONES RULES!! Not only is he Dark lord of the Sith bur he is Thulsa Doom!. And if you don't agree just remember these lines;

"I find you're lack of faith disturbing"

"You're powers are weak old man"

"The force is strong with you young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet"

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to you're father...No, I am you're father"

"The emperor is not as forgiving as I am"

"Apology accepted Captian Needa"

Th elist goes on and on and all could not be delivered by ANYONE other then James Earl Jones. But, I will never deny the power in Sebastian Shaw's short but moving performance.

 

James Earl Jones is the guy that was to voice of Mufasa in the lionking wasn´t he?
I am prepared to run out of here if am wrong and guess you will pick up you lightsaber to revenge me for my bad comment.

 

Does Jeremy Bulloch sign his autographs... "Jeremy Bulloch IS Boba Fett"? Or wait...maybe one of the stormtrooper guys signs his autos-"Bob Smith IS a stormtrooper"

"Bob Smith IS a Jawa"
"Bob Smith IS a Gammorean Guard"
"Bob Smith IS a Tusken Raider"

By the way, Bob Smith is just a generic name as I don't know the names of any of the actors who portrayed the above characters in the film.

 

JEJ is the only one who couldnt be replaced without complety altering the character. Vader issent Vader without JEJ, I dont care HOW good a dubbing you make!

David Prowse? Come on... How hard was his part really? Anyone could wear a costume and wave his arms around for a bit, from time to time.