Bob Anderson, whose full name was Robert James Gilbert Anderson (born September 15, 1922 – died January 1, 2012), famously served as the swordmaster, performing Darth Vader's fight sequences in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He took over the role from David Prowse because Prowse had a habit of breaking lightsabers. Given the difference in height—Anderson stood at 6'1" (1.85m), while Prowse was considerably taller at 6'7" (2.02m)—the filming of Anderson's scenes involved shooting from a low angle to create the illusion of greater height, or the use of small stilts or platform footwear. In addition to this, Anderson also portrayed Rebel Officer Trey Callum during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Later in his career, Anderson contributed to the film industry by choreographing sword fights and training actors for projects like The Lord of the Rings trilogy (working with Christopher Lee) and the James Bond movie Die Another Day (collaborating with stunt performer Jim Dowdall).
Bob Anderson was born in Hampshire, England. He became a member of the Royal Marines and achieved victory in several combined services fencing competitions. During World War II, he was stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. As a competitive fencer, he represented Great Britain in sabre at the Olympic Games in 1952 and the World Championships in 1950 and 1953. At Helsinki in 1952, he achieved a shared fifth-place finish in the team sabre event.
Anderson's involvement in cinema began in 1952, when he served as both a fight choreographer and coach for Errol Flynn in the 1953 film The Master of Ballantrae. During a scene rehearsal, he inadvertently cut Flynn on the thigh, earning him the somewhat infamous title in Hollywood of "the man who stabbed Errol Flynn." Subsequently, he continued his career as a stunt performer and fight choreographer in productions such as The Guns of Navarone and the James Bond films From Russia With Love and Casino Royale. His standing in Hollywood was further solidified in 1974 when Stanley Kubrick chose him to be the sword master for Barry Lyndon.
Within the Star Wars saga, Bob Anderson took on the role of swordmaster, skillfully performing Darth Vader's action-packed fight scenes in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Furthermore, Anderson also played Rebel Officer Trey Callum during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.
For many years following the initial release of the Star Wars films, Bob Anderson's contribution as Darth Vader's double went largely unacknowledged. This was partly because George Lucas wanted to maintain the positive image of David Prowse and his portrayal of the character. However, in a 1983 interview, Mark Hamill publicly recognized Anderson's work, stating: "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."
For the subsequent three decades, Anderson remained active in the film industry, lending his expertise in swordsmanship to numerous productions. Known for his perfectionism, director Martin Campbell even gave him the nickname "Grumpy Bob." His extensive list of credits as a fight choreographer and fencing coach includes titles such as The Three Musketeers, First Knight starring Sean Connery, The Mask of Zorro featuring Antonio Banderas, The Lord of the Rings trilogy starring Christopher Lee, the James Bond film Die Another Day featuring stunt performer Jim Dowdall, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl with Johnny Depp. Shortly before his passing, he was involved in the production of The Hobbit.
Anderson passed away on New Year's Day in 2012, at the age of 89.
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (stunt double)
- " The New Wonder Column " — Star Wars Insider 26
- Star Wars: The Complete Vader
- " Launch Pad " — Star Wars Insider 132
- Star Wars in 100 Scenes
- Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition
- Bob Anderson on Wikipedia
- Bob Anderson at the Internet Movie Database
- Secret Swordmaster on Hyperspace (content obsolete and backup link not available)