Darth Vader: Actor David Prowse Banned by George Lucas from Attending Star Wars Events

Darth Vader is, perhaps, one of the most popular villains of all time. David Prowse is the actor who had the honor of playing the bad guy in the original Star Wars Trilogy. Anyone who is a fan of the series knows that it was created by George Lucas. Lucas is said to have banned Prowse from attending all Star Wars events, according to the New York Daily News.

Although this sounds like a joke, sadly it's not. The actor who played one of the most important roles in the series isn't allowed to come to events. There are many fans who would love to obtain an autograph from Prowse - especially those who have spent the last thirty plus years collecting Star Wars memorabilia.

Prowse isn't happy about the whole ban, either. It's said that the man behind the mask "lives for conventions. So to strip this from him, too, is heartbreaking."

Admittedly, David Prowse didn't supply the deep voice which gave us the hit phrase "Luke, I am your father." That voice is from actor James Earl Jones. The banned Vader is only the man behind the mask - but he's the physical depiction of the villain.

At the end of the trilogy when Vader's face was revealed, Lucas used a different actor as well despite allegedly having promised Prowse that he would be seen and heard at the end of the film. This was the start of a rocky road - the slippery slope leading up to the ban.

There's been a long time feud boiling up between Lucas and Prowse. David claims that he hasn't been paid all the money he's owed from being part of the franchise. The creator of the films hasn't really given a concrete reasoning behind the ban, although we are fairly certain that there is a lot more to this story than meets the eyes.

The sad thing about the whole ordeal is that it fails to take into consideration the feelings of the fans. The Star Wars trilogy is an icon of an era, and there are many people who live for going to these events. To deprive these individuals of being able to meet someone who played such an important part of the film is rather bizarre.

The only justification that could be feasible is if Prowse were some sort of criminal. Research into Prowse online did not yield even one hint of moral turpitude. He doesn't even have a DUI or sex scandal. He's rather...ordinary to tell the truth.

There's no word on if the ban will be lifted. Hopefully one day the Darth Vader/David Prowse ban will be lifted and fans will get to see the man behind the mask.

Reference:
New York Daily News