British actor Bruce Prowse who played the deadly villain Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy directed by George Lucas has passed away at the age of 85. His agent Thomas Bowington has stated, "May the force be with him, always!. Though famous for playing many monsters - for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives. A truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world.

Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars' trilogy took to Twitter and paid tribute "He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader. He loved his fans as much as they loved him."

Bruce Prowse who was 6ft 6in tall before turning an actor was a weightlifter who participated in the Common Wealth Games in 60s and became friends with Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger before he also became an actor.

Bruce Prowse won knighthood for his role to society by bringing awareness on road safety and also played such a role in the British film Green Cross Code Man.