20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Superman

8. David Prowse Trained Christopher Reeve

David Prowse brought Darth Vader to life in the original Star Wars trilogy, but he had at one time also played Superman in a TV commercial. In a hurry to bulk Christopher Reeve up to play Superman, studio bosses turned to Prowse to help the actor get his size up. Working together, the duo succeeded, and Reeve gained 30lbs of muscle in just six weeks. Another Darth Vader connection, James Earl Jones was set to play Perry White in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman until the idea was nixed by nervous execs unsure America would accept a black Perry White. Man Of Steel fixed that by casting Laurence Fishburne.