Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, dies
LOS A N GELES» Actor Peter Mayhew, who played shaggy, towering Chewbacca in several of the Star Wars films, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 74.
Mayhew died at his home in Texas on Tuesday, according to a family statement. No cause was given.
The 7-foot-3 Mayhew played the beloved and furry Chewbacca, sidekick to Han Solo and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, in the original Star Wars trilogy.
He went on to appear as the Wookiee in 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith” and shared the part in 2015’s “The Force Awakens” with actor Joonas Suotamo, who later took over the role.
Shortly after the casting news, Suotamo wrote in a statement that Mayhew’s “development and portrayal of this beloved Wookie has spread so much joy around the globe.
Peter’s guidance and kindness have been invaluable gifts which warmed my spirit and prepared me for this journey.”
Mayhew “put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca, and it showed in every frame of the films from his knock-kneed running, firing his bowcaster from the hip, his bright blue eyes, down to each subtle movement of his head and mouth,” Mayhew’s family wrote in a tweeted statement. “But, to him, the Star Wars family meant so much more to him than a role in a film.”
Mayhew developed lifelong friendships with the other Star Wars actors and spent three decades traveling the world to meet his fans, the statement says.
“He was the gentlest of giants — A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly,” actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker opposite Mayhew, wrote on Twitter. “I’m grateful for the memories we shared & I’m a better man for just having known him.”
His family said he was ac- tive with various nonprofit groups and established the Peter Mayhew Foundation, which is devoted to alleviating disease, pain, suffering and the financial toll from traumatic events, its website says.
Star Wars creator George Lucas is said to have discovered Mayhew while the latter worked as an orderly in the King’s College Hospital’s radiology department. Standing 7-foot-3, Mayhew was reportedly told that to be cast as the Wookie, all he had to do was stand up. The actor didn’t take on too many roles outside of the Star Wars universe.
He is survived by his wife, Angie, and three children. A memorial service will be held June 29.