Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew has died at the age of 74

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

A very sad day. One of the most beloved characters in the STAR WARS franchise is Chewbacca, the intensely loyal wookie who is Han Solo's best friend as well as the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. It couldn't have been an easy task to bring such a character to life while buried head-to-toe in a fur suit, but Peter Mayhew absolutely pulled it off and became the very heart and soul of the franchise in the process.

It was announced by his family today that Peter Mayhew passed away on April 30th at the age of 74.

Prior to STAR WARS, Peter Mayhew had played the role of the Minoton in SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, but it was the role of Chewbacca which he became the most known for. George Lucas had initially planned on 6'6" actor David Prowse playing Chewbacca, but Prowse wanted to play Darth Vader, which left Lucas with the task of finding someone even taller to play Chewbacca. Although Mayhew got the gig simply based upon his impressive height (7'3"), he was able to bring a distinct personality to Chewbacca through his performance and expressive eyes. Following STAR WARS, Mayhew would go on to play Chewbacca in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI, and would also reprise the role for REVENGE OF THE SITH. By the time the Sequel Trilogy rolled around, Mayhew was unfortunately suffering from knee problems, but he nonetheless suited up as Chewbacca once again for THE FORCE AWAKENS. In order to accommodate THE FORCE AWAKENS' more strenuous scenes, Mayhew shared the role with Joonas Suotamo, who would go on to take over the character in THE LAST JEDI, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. You will certainly be missed, Mr. Mayhew. May the Force be with you.