British artist David Prause, one of the first three protagonists of the "Star Wars" series of films, passed away after a short struggle with prostate cancer.

According to statements from the company that runs his business, their client Prause was announced on Twitter at the age of 85.

It's with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE MBE has passed away at the age of 85. #DaveProwse @starwars #DarthVader #GreenCrossCodeMan #iconic #actor #bodybuilder #MBE pic.twitter.com/dL2RmdIqg8

- Bowington Management (@BowingtonM) November 29, 2020

In addition to the reincarnation of many evil characters throughout his long life, and other than performing the character of Darth Vader, Prause played the role of Frankenstein's monster, all those close to him confirmed that he was a hero in real life and in the lives of those around him.

Darth Vader mantle

But when he played the role of villain Darth Vader and put on his cloak and mask, director George Lucas was not convinced of Prause's voice when recording the character's voice, so they re-recorded the character's conversations completely with the actor Earl Jones.

Lucas, author and director of the first trilogy of the "Star Wars" films, wrote on Twitter, "When I saw Prause in the character's costume for the first time, it was as if Darth Vader jumped off the script pages and embodied in front of me" to become a cornerstone of the success of the evil icon in American cinema.

Mark Hamill, who played Darth Vader's son Luke Skywalker, wrote in the films, "Very sad about Prause's death ... I was one of his fans, and he was much older than Darth Vader."

Born into a working-class family, Prause grew up on a Southmead City Hall estate in southwest England.

He had a passion for bodybuilding, was crowned champion of Britain in weightlifting several times in the 1960s, and was friends with star Arnold Schwarzenegger in his weightlifting years.

His broad physique helped him play the roles of monsters and villains in TV shows and movies.

He played the monster in the 1970 Frankenstein horror movie "The Horror of Frankenstein", and a bearded hangman in "Carry on Henry" in 1971. That same year he appeared as a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick's 1971 movie, "A Clockwork Orange".

Health and fitness remained a concern for Prause, who also worked as a personal trainer for the late Christopher Reeve when he performed as Superman, and published his autobiography "Straight from the Mouth of Power" in 2011.