David Prowse told by Lucasfilm Star Wars: Return of the Jedi not profitable

If you are a casual Star Wars fan, then you may not have heard of actor David Prowse…and that’s okay, because James Earl Jones voiced the role that Prowse acted out. David Prowse is the man who wore the Darth Vader armor through all three original trilogy Star Wars films, and according to him, he has yet to receive any kind of profit earning money from Return of the Jedi.

In an interview with Equity Magazine, Prowse had this to say:

"“I get these occasional letters from Lucasfilm saying that we regret to inform you that as Return of the Jedi has never gone into profit, we’ve got nothing to send you. Now here we’re talking about one of the biggest releases of all time,” said Prowse. “I don’t want to look like I’m bitching about it,” he said, “but on the other hand, if there’s a pot of gold somewhere that I ought to be having a share of, I would like to see it.”"

He’s not wrong to wonder about there being no profit from what is arguably the greatest Star Wars film of all time. Of course, there is a major difference in gross profit and net profit. Usually, gross profit is reserved for the top billed actors, and David Prowse sadly was not.

Since net profits are only calculated after expenses have been factored in, it’s not unusual for lesser known actors to sign an agreement to for Net Profit Payout. Hopefully Prowse will be able to see some monetary gain from portraying one of the most menacing villains to ever grace the silver screen.

To even imagine that Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi — which grossed well over $572 million worldwide — hasn’t made a profit, is a bitter pill to swallow. Times Online did contact Lucasfilm for comment, but they declined to respond based on policy.

H/T ComicBook.com

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