Disney+(NEW YORK) — Over the weekend, Star Wars fans lost David Prowse, the towering former bodybuilder who filled the unmistakable black suit of Darth Vader in the original trilogy. He was 85.
Standing 6’6′ in his prime, and even taller thanks to Vader’s hissing helmet, Prowse’s presence sent shivers down the spines of millions of moviegoers when he first appeared in the opening moments of 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.
One of those moviegoers was Giancarlo Esposito, who, years later, has been passed the torch of Star Wars villainy, thanks to his role as the calculating Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.
Moff Gideon’s black on black armor is reminiscent of Vader’s, which was amazing, says Epsosito, who recently earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the Disney+ series’ first season finale.
“I was so excited to wear a cape!” the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul vet enthused to ABC Audio. “You know, when I was a kid and watching Star Wars … people with capes had a little bit of aristocratic power and were also able to really bring the characterization through the costume,” he explained.
“My references were Darth Vader, who I really adored in the earlier movies just because of his powerful presence, and James Earl Jones’ [voice] and that incredible costume, which is just so far out. A throwback to old times, or is it really throw forward to contemporary times?”
A new episode of The Mandalorian drops Friday on Disney+. Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
By Stephen Iervolino
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