Well Done, David (We Salute You)

That feeling when you've done all the work but somebody else gets all the credit.

Consider David Prowse.

David was a big man. He stood six feet six inches tall. He was a weight lifter Because of his size and strength, David played the Frankenstein monszter in a couple of Hammer films. He was noticed by Stanley Kubrick, who gave him a small role in A Clockwork Orange where he was noticed by George Lucas who was looking for tall British actors for his upcoming film...a little thing called Star Wars.

Lucas needed two huge men. One of them would play a friendly animal who would be kind of a cross between a large bear, a dog and a monkey with a little lion thrown in for the mane. The other huge man would be needed to portray a formidable Sith Lord. Unlike the friendly animal, the Sith Lord would have some lines in the film.

Prowse was offered both parts. Given the choice between a huge Teddy Bear lion monkey or the big bad guy in the film, Prowse chose the big bad guy later to be known as Darth Vader. Prowse had a West County accent that he used throughout the filming. Prowse was the man under the helmet for the entire movie, delivering the lines according to the script. 

The film was completed.

Lucas wasn't satisfied with Prowse/ Vader's voice. Unbeknowest to Prowse, Lucas brought in James Earl Jones who happened to be available and paid him for a day's work giving voice to the words of Vader.

Imagine Prowse watching the finished film for the first time. There he is completely hidden within the armor of Vader and the voice coming out of the armor , through the helmet amplified and disitorted is that of another person....James Earl Jones.

We all know the main actors who played main characters....Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing and James Earl Jones.

David Prowse?

Who he?

Just another guy who came in, did his job, got paid and went home.

Just a guy who gave life to possibly the most iconic villain of the late twentieth century.

David Prowse.

I know it's you.

Good job from all of us working class heroes who nobody ever heard of except our friends and family.