 Shaw was particularly known for his performances in productions of Shakespeare plays which were considered daring and ahead of their time . In 1966 , he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company , where he remained for a decade and delivered some of his most acclaimed performances . He also wrote several poems and a novel , The Christening , in 1975 . He is also known for his brief but important performance in Return of the Jedi , the original third installment in the Star Wars franchise , in which he portrayed an unmasked Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker 's ghost in the original version of the film . 
