If somebody told you they saw Darth Vader prowling around the streets of Acton, they’re not full of sith.
The Star Wars villain has been spotted strolling around downtown the last couple of months, causing more than a few double takes.
“Coming through Acton tonight near Sobeys plaza and I saw Darth Vader walking and carrying a lightsaber,” a Facebook user posted a couple of weeks ago. “I almost drove off the road!”
“I’ve seen him too,” another Facebook user said. “Actually did a lap to make sure I saw what I thought I saw. Gave him a tap of the horn and a wave. He raised his lightsaber in salute!”
So what’s the Dark Lord of the Sith doing hanging out in Acton?
Well, for a guy who’s not opposed to using the Death Star to wipe out entire planets, it turns out his purpose in town isn’t at all evil.
“I love making people’s day, putting a smile on their face,” said Matthew Pickles, the man behind the mask. “It’s fun.”
So what’s mellowed Vader since his choking-all-those-opposed-to-me days?
Maybe it’s the influence of the superhero that inspired him. Two years ago, Pickles met Stephen Lawrence, better known as Brampton Batman. Sitting in Lawrence’s Batmobile, Pickles told him, “I’d love to do this.”
Lawrence told him he could and asked him who his favourite character was.
Since seeing The Empire Strikes Back when he was seven years old, Pickles has been drawn toward the movie’s villain.
“He looks so awesome,” the 30-year-old says.
So Pickles went to work putting together his Darth Vader costume, cape and all. Though the initial version was just a children's mask, the look really came together when he discovered a complete Vader helmet in a Value Village for $20. He took the voice changer, which helps replicate Vader’s distinctive deep voice complete with the hiss of his breathing, from his original mask and attached it to the new helmet.
“You have to have the voice or it’s just not Darth Vader,” said Pickles, who at 6-foot-4 has the size to pull off the look as well.
Pickles isn’t actually from Acton. And no, he’s not from a galaxy far, far away, either. He’s from Pickering and comes to visit his girlfriend Liz Shaw on weekends. Occasionally, he’ll pick up Shaw’s son from school in the Vader costume, which is always a big hit.
“Some kids tell their parents Darth Vader was at their school and they don’t believe them,” Shaw said.
One of Pickles' favourite reactions to the costume was the trucker who honked The Imperial March as he drove by.
But the smiles are still the best.
“One parent stopped me and said ‘You made my daughter’s day,'” Pickles said. “I was so excited to hear that.”
