Simple question. How many people have played Darth Vader in the movies? (Rick Moranis doesn’t count.)
Guess it depends on your definition of ‘played’. If you mean the person inside the suit, 2. David Prowse mostly, and when his mask was taken off in Jedi, it was Sebastian Shaw. James Earl Jones of course was the voice, so I guess you might count him too.
Then it also depends on who you deem “Darth Vader”. If you’re going to count Anakin, even though he’s not “Darth Vader” yet, there are two more: Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd.
So depending on a couple of definitions, 2,3, or 5. 
Dang. I was hoping to see a bit more head-scratching.
Guess I shouldn’t ask how many people played Jean-Luc Picard on TV, then.
I must respectfully ask: Dude, are you on crack? You’ve been around the SDMB long enough to know what sort of Star Wars wonks there are floating around.
To be fair, it might be worth researching whether it was a person or just a maquette sitting in Vader’s meditation chamber in The Empire Strikes Back when we saw the back of his scarred, bald head.
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I knew that someone would give the right answer. I just didn’t expect someone to get all the details right on the very first try.
Mind you, I’m not going to ask how many people have played Spock, either.
Spock: 6 or 7, depending on definition, though one could argue as high as ten if you’re liberal enough. Not counting shape-shifters, Spock is the one Trek character played by the greatest number of different actors.
As for Vader, you could also include stunt doubles and stand-ins if you wanted to get really thorough, or really anal.
How’d they get so many for Spock? I thought Leonard Nimoy did it for all the shows and movies.
Well, there were the toddler, child, teenager and young adult versions of Spock when he was coming back to life in ST III. I remember a kid version of Spock from the Saturday morning cartoon, when he visited his own past, so whoever did the voice of Kid Spock would get credit. I guess a case could also be made for whoever the model was for Spock in the ST cartoon, if there was any. That style of animation was pretty low-budgeted, so they probably used the same body for all adult males and just switched heads.
I count two, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m missing one.
Well, there was the original, the teen from “Rascals”, and the academy aged one from the “It’s a Wonderful Q (not the real name)” episode where he gets stabbed in the heart.
Okay, I got the Star Wars question, but ain’t no way in hell I’m getting any damn Star Trek trivia questions. I’ve seen like three episodes of the original series, and none of the films. So why don’t we just say, Anamorphic is a genius, and end this?
The episode I think you’re thinking of is “Tapestry,” but I thought Stewart played that role. Maybe we’re both right, because I thought it had something to do with him being at the Academy.
I was thinking it was Stewart in that role too but I couldn’t justify it in my mind that aged Stewart would play young Picard…but the nag still exists.
Oh and at the end of “24”…jk Enjoy the marathon!
Bob Anderson, swordmaster from a bunch of movies, was in the Vader suit during the Bespin Lightsaber Duel, possibly the others too.
but what is his shoe size?
I opened this thread with the silly hope that we were going to get some questions like “What is Darth Vader’s favorite movie?” and “What is Darth Vader’s favorite salad dressing?”
Don’t forget baby spock from Star Trek V (though it is Star Trek V, so i forgive you if it is blocked from your memory)
In Tapestry, i beleive Old Picard played young Picard, but before he went back in time, he watched himself get stabbed, and was played by some actor (not listed on IMDB, the bastards!)
And Vader’s favorite salad dressing is Russian, as is all cool people.
No, no. It’s just like Trivial Pursuit, but if you lose, your windpipe is crushed by telekinesis.
Favorite movie? Why, this one, of course.
Favorite salad dressing? You think Darth Vader eats salad? I can just see it…
Werbil, Waiter of the Sith comes to the table. His assistant, Feebo, holds a covered dish. Werbil takes it, puts it in front of Darth Vader and uncovers it with a flourish.
“Your salad, Lord Vader.”
“What is this, Waiter Werbil?”
“It’s a marinated beet salad, milord. Sweet and sour dressing is heated and poured over the beets and diced red onion, then popped into the refrigerator to… URKKKKKK…”
“Fetch me my steak, Waiter Feebo.”
“Yes, Lord Vader.”
Okay, this one is only for the real hardcore STAR WARS and Lucas fans who live and breath STAR WARS . I spent several months researching this, so it’s legit, and I know the answer, but the trick is, do any of you? Maybe this’ll become a quesiton on Trivial Pursuit, STAR WARS EDITION, or something similar, I hope. Then maybe I could get some royalties, or something, for my exhaustive STAR WARS research. Ok, here it is…and I warn you, it may even blow your brain if you don’t have the correct and sufficient STAR WARS (and Darth Vader inparticular) knowledge needed in order to at least comprehend this behemoth of a question.
by the way, it’s not really a spoiler, I’m simply saving most of you years of mental torture and emotional pain by insuring your eyes don’t accidentally glance at this mofo.
That said, be prudent.
Who is Darth Vader’s son?
OK. I hope I none of you have some sort of horrible brain aneurysm now, but I warned you.