Dave Prowse, the bodybuilder-turned actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, is retiring from all autograph signings.
The 83-year-old had announced his retirement from the convention circuit last year, after he revealed that a number of physical ailments and symptoms of dementia had made traveling to meet fans difficult.
Since then, Prowse had only conducted private signings at his home, but a statement posted to several fan pages on social media announced he is ending those as well.
The statement read (taken from the Darth Vader Appreciation page on Facebook):
Dave’s family have decided that due to his ongoing health issues all private home signings will now come to an end. There will be no further bookings made. They ask that the autograph community respect their decision and their privacy and do not call them at home. Dave has been signing autographs for over 40 years. Sadly now it has become a difficult task for him, so the time has now come to stop.
Although he is best known for playing the Dark Lord of the Sith in Star Wars, Prowse appeared in small roles in dozens of movies and TV shows during his career. He played Frankenstein’s monster in two of the classic Hammer horror films: The Horror of Frankenstein and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell. He also appeared in the classic film A Clockwork Orange as Julian.
A short statement on his website only confirms that he is retired.