Dave Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader has died at the age of 85, his agent said on Sunday.

A former body-builder-turned actor, Prowse's towering stature at almost two meters clinched him the role of the infamous antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the epic saga, tweeted that he was "so sad to hear David Prowse has passed."

"He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader," Hamill wrote.

"Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion. He loved his fans as much as they loved him."

Prowse's agent Thomas Bowington announced the news on Facebook on Sunday, writing: "It's with great sadness that we have to announce that our client Dave Prowse... passed away yesterday morning at the age of 85."

"May the Force be with him, always!" the agent later told the BBC.

Bowington added that Prowse's death following a short illness was "a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world."

At home, Prowse is equally well remembered for playing the "Green Cross Code Man," a superhero created as part of a public information campaign to teach children about road safety.

He played the role for almost 20 years, and was honored by Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE in 2000.

Other film credits include 1972's Minotaur and 1977's Jabberwocky, and he also appeared in many TV shows including The Saint and The Benny Hill Show.