(CNN) -
British actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, has died at age 85, his acting company announced Sunday.
Prowse passed away after a brief illness, according to his agent Thomas Bowington.
CNN reported in 2018 that Prowse was being treated for prostate cancer.
"It is with great regret and heartbreaking sadness for us and millions of fans around the world to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE MBE passed away at the age of 85," Bowington Management said on Twitter Sunday.
David Prowse played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
"May the force be with him, always!" Bowington said in a statement to the BBC.
"Although famous for playing many monsters, to me and to everyone who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives."
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Prowse wore the black suit and helmet to play Darth Vader, but it was actor James Earl Jones who provided the voice of the character.
Prowse's West Country English accent was thought to be unsuitable for the role.
Dave Prowse in his role as Green Cross Code Man, with students from Lambeth Johanna Primary School in London.
But it was his role as the "Green Cross Code Man" of a British road safety campaign that Prowse said he was most proud of.
He was awarded an MB - Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - in 2000 for that role.
Prowse was born into a working-class family and grew up on a municipal estate in Southmead, in the south west of England.
He was awarded a scholarship to attend the Bristol Grammar School.
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He had a passion for bodybuilding and was crowned British Weightlifting Champion several times in the 1960s. He became lifelong friends with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his weightlifting years, according to the IMDb website.
His broad physique and imposing figure helped him land roles as monsters and villains in television shows and movies.
He played the monster in "The Horror of Frankenstein" in 1970 and a bearded torturer in "Carry on Henry" in 1971. That same year he appeared as a bodyguard in Stanley Kubrick's dystopian film "A Clockwork Orange" in 1971.
He went on to play Darth Vader in all three of the original "Star Wars" films, in 1977, 1980, and 1983.
Health and fitness continued to be of interest to Prowse, who also worked as a personal trainer for the actors who played the role of Superman, including Christopher Reeve, and wrote a book called "Fitness is Fun."
He published an autobiography, "Straight from the Force's Mouth," in 2011.
Darth VaderStar Wars
