Peter Mayhew, the man behind the mask of Chewbacca, has passed away at the age of 74. His Wookie was brilliantly acted as he showed us just what depths of emotion and heights of hilarity a character can express without even speaking a translatable language. Peter was the OG Chewbacca, starring in the late 70’s trilogy “A New Hope”, “Empire Strikes Back”, and “Return of the Jedi”. Decades later he suited up to play Chewie again in ‘The Revenge of the Sith’ and fought back from being in a wheelchair for ‘The Force Awakens’. Mr. Mayhew acted as a consultant to Finnish basketball player Joonas Suotamo who took over the role in ‘The Last Jedi’.
According to his family, Peter was at his home in North Texas with loved ones when he died of a heart condition on Tuesday, April 30th. His family asks that those who are inclined to show their love and support donate to The Peter Mayhew Foundation in lieu of flowers or gifts. A private memorial for family and friends will take place in June, while fans can join in honoring him with a service in December. Peter Mayhew, Thank you for sharing your art with the world. You will be missed and remembered for generations to come. Rest in peace.
