'Star Wars' Fans Mourn the Loss of Darth Vader Actor David Prowse

Sunday morning, fans came together on social media to mourn the loss of beloved Star Wars actor David Prowse — best known for playing the iconic villain Darth Vader in the original George Lucas trilogy. The news was confirmed by his agent Thomas Bowington to the BBC late Saturday night, calling the actor's death following a short illness a "truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world."

While initially cast as Vader for his towering physique thanks in part to a career stemming as a bodybuilder, despite being voiced by actor James Earl James in the three films between 1977 and 1983, his fans are also remembering Prowse as the Green Cross Code Man, a character that taught road safety to children in the United Kingdom. According to the BBC, the role earned him an MBE and was something he would go on to call, the "best job I ever had."

"May the force be with him, always!" Bowington said. "Though famous for playing many monsters — for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives." Following the news, Prowse's co-stars, including Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels took to Twitter to express their heartbreak over the tremendous loss. Scroll through to see how fans are responding.