Behind Vader's Mask

Return of the Jedi would have you believe that when you take Darth Vader’s helmet off, you get a creepy, scabby Mr. Potato Head. But that was just Hollywood magic. Reality was way more interesting.

The real man behind that mask was, of course, actor David Prowse. You’ve probably seen pictures of the burly Prowse before, but I just found this cool new picture by acclaimed Turkish photographer Mehmet Turgut that shows what the actor looks like today, half-screened with Vader’s helmet. It makes me wish we had seen Prowse’s glowering mug in Return of the Jedi instead of pasty ol’ Mr. Clean.

I’ve been following Mehmet’s work for a while now (he’s responsible for the photo that’s used on the cover of my fifth novel, Nightmare). Mehmet takes some of the most striking, provocative photos I’ve ever seen, but this is the first time I’ve seen him get his geek on. He also posted pics of Prowse with a red lightsaber and a tiny Darth Vader action figure.

Prowse is known for being the body of Darth Vader, but it looks like the threatening nature he conveyed so well wasn’t confined to his physical movements. Wilt under his steely gaze, rebel scum!