Bob Anderson has Passed Away and So Has Part of My Heart

A long time ago track pants were all the rage

Who is Bob Anderson you ask?

My response would be to slap you.  And then take a deep breath.

Moonraker, From Russia With Love, Casino Royale, Star Wars Trilogy (the good ones), Highlander, The Princess Bride, The Three Musketeers, The Mask of Zorro, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and the upcoming Hobbit films.

He is a role rarely spoken of, but we all should be quite familiar with.  Swordmaster (and stuntman).

All the bad ass sword fights from movies over the years came from this man, and most famously he played Darth Vader in all of the lightsaber duels during the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Bob Anderson cut off Luke Skywalkers hand.  Let that sink in.

I'm an Olympian!! Don't try nothing stupid!

To me, he meant The Princess Bride above all else.  The swordfight between Wesley and Inigo on top of the Cliffs of Insanity is my favorite swordfight of all time.  Mixing humor, style, and a damn good fight it left an impression in my young mind that still holds up when watched today.

Here, let me show you.

Such a good scene

A professional fencer, Bob Anderson represented Great Britain in the 1952 Olympic games and two other World Championships.  After retiring from professional fencing he got into the world of acting and behind the scenes work.

Wikipedia comments on his role in Star Wars,

“Anderson did not receive much recognition for his role in the Star Wars films for years after their initial release, in part because David Prowse was so lauded for his portrayal that director George Lucas did not want to detract from the boost it gave the actor’s career. In a 1983 interview, however, Mark Hamill paid homage to Anderson’s contribution, saying, “Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader’s fighting. It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George I didn’t think it was fair any more. Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It’s ridiculous to preserve the myth that it’s all done by one man.”

You shall greatly be missed Bob.  He passed away on New Years day 2012 at the age of 89.  Now go watch one of his movies (especially if you are a certain somebody who hasn’t seen a certain movie *hint hint*).  Down below you will find a couple samples of his work that have been making the rounds and are already iconic moments in film history.

Awesome

Remember this?

And what about this?

Or perhaps this may ring a bell?