Its true…Bob Anderson, a British Olympic fencer, passed away on January 1st at eighty nine (89). According to ESPN.com,
“Anderson donned Darth Vader’s black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original “Star Wars” films, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”
The villainous character was played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, and Anderson’s role was not initially publicized.
But Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that “Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader’s fighting.”
“It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told (director) George (Lucas) I didn’t think it was fair any more,” Hamill told Starlog magazine. “Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It’s ridiculous to preserve the myth that it’s all done by one man.”
Anderson’s imdb.com page credits him with stunts and the sword fighting choreographer in such films as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and various James Bond films. Its always sad to report on the passing of person, however Anderson was legendary in the art of fencing, and should be celebrated! The the words of Obi Wan Kenobi, ” if you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Rest in Peace Bob Anderson, thank you for your work that enriched some of our greatest movies ever made!
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