- "I never took up the sword; I think the sword took me up."
- ―Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson (September 15, 1922 – January 1, 2012), born Robert James Gilbert Anderson, was the swordsmaster who played Darth Vader in his various fight scenes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He replaced David Prowse due to the actor's tendency to break lightsabers. Because of the height differences – Anderson was 6'1" (1.85m), while Prowse was 6'7" (2.02m) – Anderson's scenes were filmed from a lower angle to make him seem taller, or he stood on some small stilts or wore platform shoes. Anderson later did swordfighting choreography and training for films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy (with Christopher Lee), the Zorro movies with Antonio Banderas and the James Bond film Die Another Day (with stunt performer Jim Dowdall).
Anderson also played Rebel Officer Trey Callum during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.[2][3][4]
Anderson died on New Year's Day in 2012. He was 89 years old.
Bibliography
Edit
- "The New Wonder Column"—Star Wars Insider 26
- Star Wars: The Complete Vader
- "Launch Pad"—Star Wars Insider 132
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ www.ontheredcarpet.com
- ↑ Oldbury, Dave Louis (2011-06-21). My Bob Anderson Starwars Autograph. Star Wars Autograph Collecting. let-the-wookie-win.com. Retrieved on August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Oldbury, Dave Louis (2011-08-27). My Bob Anderson Starwars Autograph. Star Wars Autograph Collecting. let-the-wookie-win.com. Retrieved on August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Oldbury, Dave Louis (2011-08-27). My Bob Anderson Starwars Autograph. Star Wars Autograph Collecting. let-the-wookie-win.com. Retrieved on August 29, 2012.
External linksEdit
- Bob Anderson on Wikipedia
- Bob Anderson at the Internet Movie Database
- "Secret Swordmaster" on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
