Rachel Prowse, daughter of the late Star Wars actor David Prowse, offered her sincerest thanks to those who paid respect to her father on social media following the news of his death."Dad would have been over the moon about the reaction he has had today," Rachel wrote on Twitter. "Me and the rest of the family have been overwhelmed by the lovely comments and the sharing of some hilarious memories. Thanks twitter for brightening a difficult day."
Prowse also shared a heartfelt message from David's wife Norma, who "wishes to thank all who reached out via lovely cards, flowers, messages, beautiful words and appreciation shown for Dave since his passing on 28/11. To know he was held in such high esteem by so many is overwhelming. Love, thanks & prayers to all."
Prowse passed away at age 85 from causes that, according to his daughter, were related to COVID-19. The actor was best known among moviegoers as the physical performer for Darth Vader, wearing the Sith Lord's suit during production on George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy -- A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi -- while James Earl Jones supplied Vader's voice in post-production. The Star Wars veterans who paid tribute to Prowse and his family following the actor's death included Lucas, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill and The Mandalorian's Rosario Dawson.
A former bodybuilder, Prowse made his acting debut in the 1967 spy spoof Casino Royale before taking on other roles in films like A Clockwork Orange and The Horror of Frankenstein. He also served as Christopher Reeves' physical trainer for 1978's Superman after initially auditioning for the lead role. Outside of playing Darth Vader, Prowse is best known for his long-time role as the Green Cross Man in various Green Cross Code commercials between the 1970s to 1990 that helped educate British children about pedestrian safety, later reprising his role as the character in 2014.