What's the dirt on David Prowse?

Lucas took months casting Luke, Han and Leia let's not get it confused.

And Yoda has always been Frank, from the voice to the puppet itself - there was none other.

Same with 3PO. These are actors who all put their own personal touches in their performance.

With Vader, everymovie he's been played by multiple actors. Is it noticeable when Prowse or Paul or whoever embody it ? No.

Why not?

Because they're all big men who are directed the way they are, the uniqueness of Vader is in the script - the appearance and the voice.

Not in the actors inside the suit, there's a reason he's the only one complaining about this.

If indeed Prowse did something that was unique and only he could do, then we would've/should've noticed that in Vader.

It is silly to talk about this, but then again - Prowse boycotting Episode III because of this and signing "DP is the only DV" is THAT much more sillier.

Don't you think?

 

It's curious that Prowse felt slighted when he wasn't allowed to play Anakin, yet he seems to have no qualms about wanting to deprive Christensen of the opportunity to play Vader. Seems hypocritical to me.

 

*sneaks in*

Met Prowse on a convention. When he signed my picture and was told my name, he said "A lovely name for a lovely lady"
I love Prowse. (Even if he seems to be a bit weird.)

Carry on.

*sneaks out*

 

It must be a strange sensation to have played the #1 villain of all time, and never getting recognized for it.

Other actors would probably call it a blessing.

 

How ironic that Lucas just screwed Shaw over with Hayden...

Don't get me started on that one. That's the #1 thing on the list of 3 changes I hate being made to the OT-DVDs. As much as I like Hayden as Anakin, he shouldn't be at the end of RotJ.

 

Heh... don't get ME started on the DVD changes at all! Any of them!

 

his voice reminds me of rick moranis's voice in spaceballs. Seriously it sounds the same as Dark Helmet.

 

"Same with 3PO. These are actors who all put their own personal touches in their performance."

But I thought your mentality was that ANYONE could wear a suit. How can you say Anthony Daniels brings anything to the suit when ANY skinny guy could have wore it? Oh I know why, its not Daniels on the chopping block its Prowse. And quite bias.


"With Vader, everymovie he's been played by multiple actors. Is it noticeable when Prowse or Paul or whoever embody it ? No."

Prowse does the physical acting for Vader and like any other actor, when its time for his stand-in, the stand-in, stands in.

"Because they're all big men who are directed the way they are, the uniqueness of Vader is in the script - the appearance and the voice."

Ok, put Peter Mayphew in the Vader suit. Lets watch his menacing knock-kneed walk down the cooridor of the executor. Please.

And Prowses preferences for sighning autographs and what not has zero bearring on the subject of him being Vader. BoyCotting and all that is just his lagitimate feelings being channelled in seemingly extreme ways. He has a right to feel a little hurt but I think hes too emotional with it. Theres no way on earth he should have thought his voice wasnt a hilarious contrast to the suit he was wearing. As the man in the suit he did the job as well as it could be and thats what he was used for and thats what matters. Weather or not he should have replaced Shaw is up for argument between him and Lucas. We wouldnt have known the difference because we had never seen his face. Its a done deal for Shaw too at this point but its still a lagitimate beef.

 

How ironic that Lucas just screwed Shaw over with Hayden...

Last time I looked, Shaw was still in Return of the Jedi. Lucas only added Christensen to the last few shots, but the meat of Shaw's performance during the unmasking of Vader is intact.

 

He initially thought he was going to do the Vader voice overs and was dissapointed that JEJ got that job. "Nobody has ever apologised or said anything to me about it." He feels in terms of voice overs he could have done an equal or better job, because that's part of an actors job, and "with the right coaching and the things they can do in a studio (synthesizers, etc.)" he "could have done it just as well."

 

I had a friend a few years back that attended a con where Prowse was signing autographs a few years back. And he said that someone asked Prowse about him not doing Vader's voice and Prowse ended up going on a 10 minute lecture about the wole deal. They said even Mayhew (who was signing autographs too) jsut sort of rolled his eyes and got this "Here we go again" look on his face and did his best to apologize and make nice with the fans.

 

"But I thought your mentality was that ANYONE could wear a suit. How can you say Anthony Daniels brings anything to the suit when ANY skinny guy could have wore it? Oh I know why, its not Daniels on the chopping block its Prowse. And quite bias. "

LOL

Anthony does the voice, the very thing that makes Threepio so unique. I don't know if they could put another man in the suit - because they never did, for good reason. Being that Anthony gives Threepio a certain uniqueness.

The way Vader moves isn't anything that Prowse has brought into it - because once again, Prowse isn't even in there for a lot of scenes. The voice however is unique.

So, once again (getting tired of saying it), what did Prowse do that any other wellbuilt actors couldn't have done ? and in fact other actors HAVE done and with Episode III (hopefully) WILL do.

It's not even a real knock on Prowse cause i feel the same about the other actors who were in the suit - coincidentally i've NEVER heard any of them complain ONCE.

 

Wendy Leech was the stunt double for C-3P0, so Tony wasn't the "only one in the suit".

So he does the voice, big whoop. It could still be anyone at all in there.

Double standard.

 

"So he does the voice, big whoop. It could still be anyone at all in there.

Double standard."

Sorry to jump in to the convo here, but it really isn't a double standard.

Anthony Daniels defined who C3PO is as an English butler type. As was said before, Lucas originally envisioned 3PO as a used car salesman type. Anthony read his lines and moved in the costume in the manner of an English Butler. There is no desputing that he had a major affect on the character.

Prowse . . . all he did was walk around and look menacing, though the costume pretty much did the work for him in the menace department.

As for gesturing, what about Vader's gesturing is all that innovative? I mean, be perfectly honest and stop looking at things through rose colored glasses. It's just pointing and making a fist . . . any trained grunt can do that (not that I'm saying Prowse is just a grunt, but you get my meaning). Nothing about how Prowse points is all that spectacular. If someone else had done it a different way, you would be clamouring about how his gesturing and pointing was perfect for the role. Just admit it!

 

He signs his name "David Prowse IS Darth Vader."

That should explain it...

 

In refering to Daniels Obi_Frans says
"I don't know if they could put another man in the suit - because they never did,"

So why didnt you come to that conclusion when the subject was Prowes?

We'd never know the outcome of other people playing the physical roles of 3p0 or Vader but we do know they made excellent of the work and it can only be looked at as no one else could have done it. Because Prowse is a little nutty you cant take that away from him. You cant be bias or turn on any actor that falls out with or disagrees with Lucas.

 

Last time I looked, Shaw was still in Return of the Jedi. Lucas only added Christensen to the last few shots, but the meat of Shaw's performance during the unmasking of Vader is intact.

The "meat of his performance" might be there, but...

...his eyebrows are gone!

Ripped right off!

That must have hurt worse than the lava!

 

David Prowse on Darth 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".

(From "Starlog Movie Series #6")

 

That hits the nail on the head. Vaders greatest moments are his powerful gestures. Speaking of which, anybody notice that at one point when talking with Tarkin, Vader continues to gesture but the lines have stopped. Its pretty funny. It happens after "I told you she would never betray the rebel alliance.."

Vaders join the darkside fist pose. Classic. Prowse is the man. We all accept this to be true.

Shaws shaved eyebraws are actually not a bad idea since Hayden doesnt appear to have wolf bushes growing over his eyes. I guess there should be a stop button on Georges "Redo module".


Timmayyyhhh, Timmy. Timmah, Timmayyyhhh....

 

He signs his name "David Prowse IS Darth Vader."

That should explain it...

Actually, he mentioned a funny story about that and Alec Guinness at Celebration II. I can't remember all the details of the story, but the gist of it is about how Guinness had seen how Prowse signed his name to Star Wars photos and memorabilia with "David Prowse IS Darth Vader" and so Alec Guinness signed his with "Alec Guinness IS Alec Guinness".

 

Yikes! I had no idea it would generate THIS much rancor!

I mean, I heard the guy was rude and nasty sometimes about James Earl Jones and such, and had an ego. I just wondered what the deal was.

Personally, I'm GLAD they got JEJ to do the voice-I mean, Jones is one of those actors you'd pay $75 just to hear read the phonebook. (Alan Rickman being another).

As for the redone trilogy, I haven't seen it yet, so I'll refrain from commenting. (Although I think it's neat that Hayden got to be the ghost of Anakin, too bad they couldn't have had Ewan as well!)

 

"(Although I think it's neat that Hayden got to be the ghost of Anakin, too bad they couldn't have had Ewan as well!)"

I know. Maybe in the next definitive remix we will get Ewans ghost along with the CGI Yoda in his threehundreds. If we are lucky enough, they will get younger in each "final" version until they are force-sperm ghost. Cant you see Luke looking over proudly as Annie, Yoda, and Ben swim around the old Tree branch.

Guinastasia, you will enjoy the trilogy set. May I ask what has kept you from seeing it?

 

Actually, he mentioned a funny story about that and Alec Guinness at Celebration II. I can't remember all the details of the story, but the gist of it is about how Guinness had seen how Prowse signed his name to Star Wars photos and memorabilia with "David Prowse IS Darth Vader" and so Alec Guinness signed his with "Alec Guinness IS Alec Guinness".

 

"Alec Guinness IS Alec Guinness"

Heh, brilliant!

 

David Prowse's role can't really be compared to Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz or anybody else, I agree.

But is he any more/less known than Kenny Baker or Jeremy Bulloch? Neither of their characters seemed to have any more "personality" or body language adapted from the actors either.

Jones is one of those actors you'd pay $75 just to hear read the phonebook.
OOoh, does he do requests?