British Fencing Legend and Darth Vader Stand In Dies

Bob Anderson was a world class fencer who not only fought in the Royal Marines during World War Two and represented his country in two world championships and one Olympic Games, but he was also the stand in for Darth Vader during the climatic light saber duels in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Anderson died aged 89, on New Year’s Day.

But the universe of Star Wars was not to be Anderson’s last foray into the world of films as he later went on to work on such classic films involving sword play as Die Another Day, The Princess Bride and The Lord of the Rings.

It was Mark Hamil, who played the role of Luke Skywalker in all three of the original Star Wars films, that let loose the ‘secret’ that it was Anderson, not David Prowse, (who performed the rest of the scenes in Darth Vader’s costume while James Earl Jones provided the iconic voice) who actually was involved in the light saber duels in an 1983 interview in Starlog:

“It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George [Lucas] – the director – I didn’t think it was fair any more,” he said.

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 will also be remembered by the top fencing society’s and fans, such as Fencing Academy president Phillip Bruce:

“He was truly one of our greatest fencing masters and a world-class film fight director and choreographer and both the fencing community and film world will miss him.”

Anderson is survived by his wife Pearl and three  children.

Details of the funeral arrangements were not available at this time.

(Via BBC News)