Peter Mayhew, the man more famously known as Chewbacca from Star Wars, has passed away this week, at the age of 74.
The Star Wars actor has been portraying the iconic Wookie religiously for over 40 years, ever since the very first instalment, A New Hope, way back in 1977.
His family went on Twitter to announce the sombre news, leaving many heartbroken to see such a fan-favourite meet his demise.
Although he wasn’t physically acting as Chewbacca in the latest trilogy, starting with The Force Awakens in 2015, he still lent his voice to breathe life into Han Solo’s best mate.
His longtime Star Wars co-star, Harrison Ford told The Hollywood Reporter, “Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character. These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca. We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him. He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience.”
Continued Ford, “Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together. He knew how important the fans of the franchise were to its continued success and he was devoted to them. I and millions of others will never forget Peter and what he gave us all. My thoughts are with his dear wife Angie and his children. Rest easy, my dear friend…. “
His Star Wars co-stars also paid tribute to Mayhew on social media.
Thank you, Mr Mayhew, for bringing such light to our dark lives. Not just by being Chewie but also by being your cheerful, affable self.
We all owe you a life debt.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Marcus
Natalie
