David Prowse Was Ostracized During ‘Star Wars’ Filming for Leaks, but the True Story Is More Complex

George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise stands as a cornerstone of modern science fiction. Initially an ambitious space opera project, it has evolved into one of the most successful and beloved franchises in history. Spanning several decades, Star Wars has captivated multiple generations of fans and continues to be revered as one of the greatest fictional universes ever created.

Despite its cult classic status and millions of devoted followers, tales from the production of these films continue to intrigue us. Whether they pertain to the newer installments or the original trilogy, the report we have today hails from the latter.

This story centers around David Prowse, the actor who portrayed the body of Darth Vader in the original trilogy. While Prowse did not provide the voice or the unmasked face of Darth Vader, he embodied the physical presence of the character. This report aims to uncover the reasons behind this casting decision.

The story we’re about to share is based on various reports, some older and some more recent, surrounding rumors and anecdotes suggesting that David Prowse was ostracized during the filming of the final movies of the original Star Wars trilogy. Allegedly, this was due to him leaking information to the press, which reportedly angered George Lucas and the producers. This article delves into the validity of these rumors and what can be confirmed.

The saga began in 1978 when Prowse indeed disclosed information to fans in California. Amidst widespread speculation about a Star Wars sequel, Prowse publicly confirmed that filming would commence in 1979 for a 1980 release, and even hinted at a third film in development. Imagine the excitement of meeting Darth Vader himself in 1978 and receiving such bombshell news—it sparked a frenzy among fans.

But Prowse didn’t stop there. He also revealed, “Father can’t kill son, son can’t kill father, so they live again to star in Star Wars IV.” This revelation was groundbreaking. Star Wars IV? That didn’t come to fruition until ‘The Phantom Menace.’ The revelation that Vader is Luke’s father was a shock—something no one knew or even suspected in 1978. And this had significant consequences:

A newspaper article published everything Prowse had revealed, leading to trouble for him when George Lucas and the producers discovered it. Prowse himself claimed his comment about Vader and Luke was merely a lucky guess—he made it before any script was written, and the information was unknown to anyone except possibly Lucas. However, another theory suggests someone leaked the information during filming, and Prowse unwittingly repeated it.

Regardless, the revelation caused a stir at the time. Although the leak was contained, it served as a reminder to the production team to be vigilant against such occurrences in the future. They subsequently enforced strict measures to prevent leaks.

During the filming of Episode V, the actors were not given complete scripts until the moment of filming. A notable example is the iconic “I am your father” line, which was kept secret even during production. According to various reports from that time, only George Lucas, producer Gary Kurtz, and director Irvin Kershner knew about the line. Kershner informed Mark Hamill about it moments before filming, while James Earl Jones was given the exact line late in post-production.

David Prowse, who portrayed Darth Vader, never spoke this famous line. Depending on the source, he was either given a different line to say or not provided with any dialogue at all. For more details, you can verify these sources through this link.

During that time, rumors were rampant, and the official novelization nearly spoiled the entire secret weeks before the premiere. However, they managed to keep it under wraps until the movie was released. The production team learned a valuable lesson from this experience, and when filming Episode VI began, they implemented even stricter measures to safeguard the storyline.

According to producer Howard Kazanjian, there were only three complete copies of the script: one each for Lucas, director Richard Marquand, and Kazanjian himself. Actors were often given scenes rather than the entire story, sometimes moments before filming. Those actors deemed potential security risks received fake scripts containing false information.

This was part of efforts to identify information leaks, and Kazanjian confirmed that a specific actor – unnamed by him – leaked false information to the press, which later surfaced in newspapers, aiding in identifying the culprit. While Kazanjian hinted it was Prowse, who himself later affirmed he never saw complete scripts for Episodes V and VI, this contradicts actual events.

In 1982, a British newspaper leaked that Darth Vader would die, a fact that turned out true in Episode VI. Despite Prowse denying involvement, he was blamed and subsequently ostracized. Stunt doubles replaced him in some scenes, and his unmasking scene featured actor Sebastian Shaw instead. Prowse reportedly didn’t anticipate his voice being replaced by James Earl Jones’, leaving him frustrated and disillusioned.

The production of Episodes V and VI was famously intricate, as fans are aware, and David Prowse’s penchant for enjoying his fame and speaking to the press made the producers uneasy, albeit with reason.

In the 1980s, Prowse granted an interview under the impression it would focus on his sports career. However, halfway through, the topic unexpectedly shifted to Star Wars, catching Prowse off guard. He later recalled:

He turned up at my gymnasium that evening and halfway through he says, “You know you’re being killed off in this movie, don’t you? And another guy’s playing the dying Darth Vader?” I said, “They wouldn’t do that – they wouldn’t go and unmask somebody else after I’ve played the part for six years.” He asked if I had a call sheet, and he looked at it and it said: “Dave Prowse, Darth Vader, Studio 1,” and underneath it “Sebastian Shaw, Anakin Skywalker, Studio 10.

Source: The Void

The following day, the Daily Mail ran a headline: “Darth Vader to be killed off in the next movie, in an interview with David Prowse.” Lucas received the news before Prowse could provide his perspective, effectively marking a turning point for him. While he received credit for his contributions, Prowse faced ostracism on set, which was undoubtedly unpleasant.

In the end, it became clear that the headline was misleading. Even the journalist who interviewed Prowse confirmed that he was not the original source of the leak, but had received the information from another party. Nevertheless, Prowse bore the repercussions of the incident.

There are numerous unresolved details and contradictions here, most of which may never find closure. With Prowse’s passing in 2020 and many other actors involved also deceased or silent on the matter, the full truth may remain elusive. Nonetheless, we’ve shared what we believe is essential about this intriguing chapter from the Star Wars production.

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