Posted on 09/25/2017 9:48:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The sci-fi video was shot at a massive warehouse near Bridgend
Darth Vader has made his last on-screen appearance with a starring role in the new music video from Welsh rock musician Jayce Lewis.
The man who played the iconic villain in the original Star Wars trilogy has starred in his final ever production after retiring from all professional and public appearances, due to ill health.
Now 82, Dave Prowse has gone in front of the camera one last time for his good friend and long-time collaborator - Jayce Lewis - fittingly in a sci-fi themed video.
The pair – who Dave describes as having a relationship “like father and son” – filmed the video for Jayce’s new single Shields at a 315,000sq ft warehouse near Port Talbot.
They met at a Star Wars convention almost 20 years ago and, after discovering a shared interest in music, Dave later became Jayce’s manager and business partner.
“It’s a nice relationship, which has gone on for years,” said Dave of his partnership with Jayce, 32.
“It’s nice to have common interests. We have known each other for so long it’s like father and son working together.”
In the music video, Dave, who brought the most popular movie villain in history to life, plays a menacing government chief in charge of a secret experiment which opens a portal to another world and unleashes energy which he and his stooges struggle to control. That energy includes Jayce, 32, from Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend.
Transported into our realm from a parallel universe, Jayce struggles to free himself from the tyranny of his oppressor – played by Dave – who is none too pleased with the turn of events.
Jayce, who also built and runs his own music studio called Northstone just outside Bridgend, said the plot mirrors struggles he has had within the music industry and also the wider issues of government control of individuals.
Now with a new major label and back releasing music under his own name, instead of that of former band Protafield, Jayce – who has collaborated with icons including Gary Numan, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and Brian May – said he wants to show the world how he’s back on track.
Having already scored a number one album in Asia, Jayce – who co-directed his latest video with friend Richard Starkey – said: “This is getting my identity back and releasing the first single back under my solo name. My mentor Dave Prowse has stuck by me through thick and thin.
“It’s a weird feeling as it’s Dave’s final appearance and and a very poignant moment for me. If you had told me as a kid that Darth Vader’s last apeparance would be in a music video of mine I wouldn’t have believed you.”
From casting Dave in the leading role to coming up with the plot, Jayce has taken a hands-on approach to this latest project, even constructing the large metal truss which portrayed the government’s portal with friend and long-time lighting engineer Matt Wood.
The set – which was actually John Pye Auctions on Kenfig Industrial Estate – was provided by a fan and another friend of Jayce’s, Adam Pye.
“Every video I have done has been within five miles of my house,” said Jayce.
As for Dave he said: “Me and Jayce have been planning to work together in a music video for years and finally he did one that made sense for me.
“I won’t be doing anymore on screen work after this, so I guess it makes this video a little something extra for the fans. I’m in long admiration of Jayce and his work, we make a good team. May the force be with us!”
George Lucas ended up real crazy and angry at Prowse for some reason fathomable only to Lucas.
From what I can gather, Prowse is a likeable enough fellow.
David Prowse spoke at my college about 40 years ago. Nice fellow. Thing I remember is he had auditioned to be Superman and was a bit put off to discover Hollywood felt only an American could play the part.
what happen between him and lucas was that he made a joke between the first star wars movie and filming empire strikes back that he was lukes father. this was carried in a fan news letter and published right before the release. The actor claims that he said this before he ever got the script and at the time had said a lot of other goblygook in jest to the person who interviewed him. to this day no one but him and the fan who interviewed him knows if it true. George Lucas was stuck using him because of contract and tried to remove all evidence of him being the actor including digitally removing his face and putting another actors face on the body of a dying Vader in the return of the Jedi
my source is a documentary I viewed this year unfortunately cant remember the title
I have heard that Prowse was miffed when Star Wars came out that his voice was dubbed over by James Earl Jones. However, using his own voice would have been a disaster as he had a high pitched voice that sounded like it was coming from inside a garbage can when in costume. For the sequels, knowing that his voice would be dubbed over anyway, his dialog became a bit random.
The reason?
The reason was because someone framed Prowse as a leaker who gave interviews to the press about Star Wars. Prowse denied it, and it was clear other people were talking to the press. But Lucas thought it was him.
Here’s a true story about meeting David Prowse. He was at a memorabilia show at the Montgomery Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, Md in the early 2000’s along with his son, and Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca, and others.
After I got his autograph on a beautiful color picture (also featuring Billy Dee Williams and Bobba Fett Jeremey Bullock), I asked him where Chewie was. He pointed over to a man stretched out on a chair and said “Never wake a wookie”.
I took his advice and finally got Mayhew’s autograph. I also one bought a couple packs of Star Wars Evolution series cards that were lying around a Walmart and in them was a Chewbacca autograph.
That day I actually got three autographs at two different stores, one of them being Mitch Pileggi from X Files The Movie (have two of the same autograph from two different stories).
Ah the memories of the past.
There is (or at least was) on Netflix a great biography on Dave Prowse called “I Am Your Father.”
Spoiler Alert: Dave Prowse was not born on Tatooine.
The burning question: does Vader take a knee in this video?
Lucas himselg gave it away. He made tge chadaxter’s name similar to the Indoeropean words for father.
An old co-worker of mine has a sister who’s married to Prowse. Once a year, they come to Colorado for a visit and often just stay at his house. I remember him saying “Yeah, there’s nothing quite like taking a 2am trip to the kitchen, only to suddenly see the large dark silhouette of Darth Vader exiting the hallway bathroom.”
I was just speaking about why Lucas disliked the actor.
Had the privilege of meeting Prowse at a sci-fi con in east Canada over 20 years back. He taught us a little song (to the Star Wars theme) “Star Wars/Made me a fortune/Paid off the mortgage/Bought a new car!”
This has been sad for me. I met Dave right after Star Wars and we’ve been friends ever since. He took me to the Empire set and introduced me to George Lucas who gave him the cold shoulder. On one U.K. trip we went to a children’s event and he was dressed as the Green Cross Man, very impressive - the kids loved him. We’ve spent many good times over the years in the US and U.K. I walked with him to the London medical clinic when he was going to get checked for what turned out to be arthritis that has crippled him over the years since then, and five years ago his memory became a slight problem. I saw him late last year in Texas and still hope to see him again.
Not to mention a pronounced Surrey accent that would have made Darth Vader sound quite rural. So far as I know, Lucas never intended to use Prowse's own voice.
Ping!
How about that?
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