The Dark Side - Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When did you start playing Darth Vader?

A: June 28, 1994.

Q: Are you the Vader from the Star Wars films?

A: Yes and no.

In the first of the movies, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the character of Darth Vader was portrayed on screen by Dave Prowse, a champion weight lifter, body builder, and personal trainer. Prowse reprised the role in both Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, with stuntman Bob Anderson stepping into the costume for the more complicated lightsaber duels.

At the end of Return of the Jedi when Luke removes the dying dark lord’s mask it is actor Sebastian Shaw that we see as the redeemed Anakin Skywalker.

For the Special Edition of the classic trilogy I was asked to play Vader for additional footage that was incorporated to help bring the films closer to George Lucas’ original vision.

Child actor Jake Lloyd assumed the role of nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker for the beginning of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and Hayden Christensen took over for Lloyd as the young adult Anakin for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  Christensen also dons the famous Vader costume at the end of Revenge of the Sith.

And of course, the unforgetable voice of Darth Vader is performed by the very gifted actor and gentleman James Earl Jones.

Q: How did you get the part of Darth Vader?

A: I got the part while I was working at LucasArts Entertainment Company. I was sitting at my desk one day when the phone rang.  It was the company public relations manager.  She asked me, “Hey, Andrew, how tall are you?”

I thought it was an odd, but harmless question.  “Six foot five,” I responded.

“Do you have any acting experience,” she inquired. I wondered where she was going with this line of questioning. Lucas company...How tall am I...Do I have any acting experience? The wheels started spinning in my head.  No, it couldn’t be that,...could it?

“Yes,” I replied, “About twenty years of theater and some film and television work.” Then she let the other shoe drop.

“Can you breathe for me?”  Oh my gosh, It was what I was thinking.

And that was the beginning of my turn to the dark side, so to speak. LucasArts Entertainment Company participated each year in the Marin County Fair. That year, 1994, LEC was doing a special charity event for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America the night before the fair opened and they wanted to offer the kids the chance to have their picture taken with Darth Vader and/or R2-D2.  They needed someone to play Vader for the event and a co-worker who knew of my acting background suggested me.  I tried on the costume, it fit, we did the event, and I came away from the whole thing thinking that it was an incredible one-in-a-lifetime happening which I thanked God for even having the opportunity to do. Then about a month later I got called back for something else, and then something else, and so on.  No matter how many times I get to play Vader I still try to look at each performance as a one-in-a-lifetime blessing.

Q: Have you worn the original Vader costume?

A: Yes, I wore the original costumes from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi for almost two years before Lucasfilm deemed it too risky to continue using them.  Seventeen perfect replicas were crafted for Lucasfilm by Don Bies and his lovely wife Anna, and that is what I have worn on most occasions since.  Unless they are on display as part of an exhibit such as the Magic of Myth, all the original costume pieces now stay safely tucked away in the Lucasfilm archives at Skywalker Ranch.

Q: Is it hot in the costume?

A: I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count! The original costumes were not as hot as the replicas. The original pants and jackets were made of real leather which is heavy, but leather breathes.  The replicas were made using a less costly vinyl material, which we jokingly refer to as “pleather” for plastic leather. The vinyl is very lightweight and easy to move in, however it is twice as hot.

Q: Is that you in the Rebel Assault II game from LucasArts?  Somebody told me that it was Dave Prowse.

A: That was very definitely me. You’ll find my name in the credits.  Apparently many people have mistakenly thought that it was Prowse playing Vader for that project, which I take as the greatest of compliments. I had also previously played Vader for LucasArts’ Dark Forces game. The voice of Vader for Rebel Assault II and several other LucasArts products is that of Scott Lawrence.

Q: What was it like doing the Special Edition?

A: It was quite a thrill, especially since I knew that I was about to become part of Star Wars cannon.  The shoot took place at ILM in June of 1996.  I almost didn’t get to do it because my wife was due to deliver our first child. They were holding the shoot open for me as long as they could, but naturally I was ready to turn it down because there was no way I was not going to be by my wife’s side when our daughter was born.  Fortunately my daughter was born two weeks early and I was free to do the shoot for the Special Edition.  For the shoot I had to walk across a raised platform on a bluescreen stage. I remember that the platform was not very wide, certainly not as wide as I would have liked it to be.  Visibility in the Vader mask is extremely limited. You can only see what is directly ahead of you through the lenses of the mask or you can look straight down and see your feet through the grill of the mouth area.  That’s about it.  As I walked across the blue platform for the shot where Vader leaves Cloud City and goes to his shuttle, I remember being concerned that if I strayed too far to the left or right I’d end up falling to the floor.  But we got it all done in one afternoon.  Other than my initial reaction to the narrow platform, it was a fun shoot.

Q: What is your favorite project that you have worked on and why?

A: I’ve been very blessed to be able to do all the things I’ve done in my career so far.  If you were asking about Vader-related projects that’s a tough call. Rebel Assault II was definitely a great project. So were many of the commercials I’ve done, especially the M&Ms spot. If I were to include all aspects of my career then I’d have to say that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was a great project to work on. I was able to work directly with legendary VFX supervisor Dennis Muren who is wonderful to work for.  Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was possibly the most challenging project I’ve ever been involved in. Truth be known, if I were to look back at my entire career to date as an actor and as a visual effects artist, it may surprise you to learn that my favorite project is not a Star Wars production.  The winner hands down is Galaxy Quest.  We had the absolute best bunch of people assembled for the effects team at Industrial Light & Magic for that film.  The production went smoothly. We all had a great time working on it.  And best of all it turned out to be a fun little film with lots of heart. In the world of post-production, you can work from four month to a year without ever knowing if the project you are helping to produce is going to be any good because you see it out of sequence and without sound.  That film, as far as I’m concerned, was a home run.

Q: You have been the body, but have you ever officially performed as the voice of Darth Vader?

A: Although I have a deep baritone voice and could probably do well at it with a little practice and some post-production audio sweetening, I’ve never been called upon to be the voice of Vader. I have, however, been the voice of Luke Skywalker for a number of LucasArts’ games.