‘I am your father’s honors David Prowse, the man behind the mask of Darth Vader

MAGDALENA TSANIS / EFE

• This opens Friday ‘I am your father’, a documentary about the history of David Prowse, an actor trying to do justice.
• The voice of Prowse was replaced by another actor in the only scene in which his face is a different actor was also used.
• The bad relationship George Lucas with actor can due to this revealed key plot points to the press.

I never saw his face on screen and his voice was heard, but the British actor David Prowse (Bristol, 1935) was Darth Vader in the original trilogy Star Wars . The Spanish documentary I am your father , presented Wednesday in Madrid, pays tribute and seeks to do justice to his battered figure.

Exculturista and regular production of the legendary horror English label Hammer, Prowse, in her 80s, continues to travel the world thanks to the providential role, and almost every weekend go to fan conventions of the galactic saga.. Of course, never to official events of Star Wars

“Unfortunately my relationship with George is not very happy, “acknowledged at a press conference the actor, whose voice for the role was replaced for that of James Earl Jones, while the only time the villain shows his face in The Return of the Jedi , Lucas decided to replace Sebastian Shaw. “Honestly, I’m not sure why he bothered, I think I messed up unintentionally after shooting the first film, possibly told the press something that bothered him and he has not forgotten,” he noted, apologizing for his poor memory.

“I would have loved to do more movies with Lucas, but I have a feeling that there is kind of vendetta ​​em> against David Prowse to let off universe of Star Wars , “he added, flanked by the directors of the film, Mark Cabot and Toni Bestard.

I am your father explores what It happened through newspaper articles of the period and interviews with people like Gary Kurtz and Robert Watts, along with the original trilogy Lucas producers. The Lucas himself declined to participate, as have told their authors.

The film starts in the early bodybuilding Prowse and recounts how his imposing physique helped him gain Monster papers in horror films and even to Stanley Kubrick offered him a role in A Clockwork Orange . Although curiously popularity in England owes more than anything else to a successful road safety campaign in which he played the superhero Green Cross road.

When Lucas signed him and gave him the choice between making Chewbacca or Darth Vader, Prowse had no doubts. His appearance in the Episode IV the first ?? ?? did not exceed 12 minutes. No one then could have imagined then that Star Wars going to have the impact he had.

The reason for the rift

Among the most amazing documentary findings I am your father highlights an interview published in 1977, while promoting the first film, in which Prowse suggested that if there were sequels, Darth Vader could unravel as the father of Luke Skywalker.

The actor says he does not remember that interview, although the authors of the documentary dropped the suspicion that ?? what proved to be the turning final script and the best kept secret of the first trilogy? ? It might have something to do with the bad relationship with Lucas, like other filtration Daily Mail on the character’s death.

Bestard and Cabotá They have confessed that they were very surprised that nobody so far had devoted a documentary to Prowse. Besides research, its main purpose, explained, has been “justice” who considered the “father” of Darth Vader. Hence the “crazy” idea of ​​returning to film the sequence that prevented the world know his face.

After his presentation at the last festival of Sitges, I am your father It opens in theaters on Friday. Its directors expect it to be “starting point” so that the film can be seen worldwide.

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