Darth Vader was played by five different actors across the six Star Wars films. Bob Anderson, the stuntman who donned the cape in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi to perform the battle sequences with Luke, has passed away.
David Prowse wore the Vader suit the majority of the time in the original Star Wars films. James Earl Jones gave Vader his memorable voice. Sebastian Shaw played the unmasked version of Vader in Return of the Jedi. Hayden Christensen only wore the suit briefly in the end of Revenge of the Sith, but it still counts. Bob Anderson was the man who made Vader an intimidating fighter.
Anderson also helped train actors in the art of swordplay for the Lord of the Rings films, further cementing his influence on nerd culture for decades to come.
[via NPR]
Thanks to Ashley for the news tip.