Bob Anderson, LOTR and Star Wars Sword Master, Dies at 89
Legendary sword master and fight choreographer Bob Anderson has died at the age of 89.
The British Academy of Fencing reports the former British competitive fencer passed away peacefully in an English hospital at 4am on New Year’s Day.
Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman, was best known for his work on Star Wars and Lord of the Rings – the latter of which involved the crafting of various fighting styles for the different races.
In the original Star Wars trilogy, Bob is famous for donning Darth Vader’s black helmet and fighting lightsaber battles – most famously with Obi Wan Kenobi.
Despite his importance in the film, Anderson’s role in the original Star Wars trilogy was not initially publicized until it was revealed by Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, in an interview in 1983.
“It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told [George Lucas] I didn’t think it was fair anymore,” Hamill said of Anderson’s role as the dark lord. “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.”
In addition to Star Wars and LOTR, Anderson also worked on First Knight, The Princess Bride, Highlander, Zorro, the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and several James Bond films.
To see more of Anderson’s amazing work, watch the following video to check out the sword fight between Inigo Montoya and Westley from The Princess Bride.
It’s considered by many critics as the best sword fight in film history.
The Princess Bride
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Bob Anderson is survived by his wife Pearl and three children. Funeral details were not immediately available.
