Peter Mayhew, the man behind the iconic Star Wars character Chewbacca, has passed away.
Mayhew died on Tuesday, April 30 surrounded by family in Texas, according to a statement. He was 74.
Mayhew’s final Star Wars film was 2015’s The Force Awakens. The role of Chewie in Solo, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker has been played by Joonas Suotamo.
Suotamo attended last month’s Star Wars Celebration, and during the Episode 9 panel, he gave a special shout-out to Mayhew for giving him such a remarkable character to portray. Mayhew was at Celebration to meet fans but did not appear on the Rise of Skywalker panel since he’s no longer in the suit.
By the time The Force Awakens entered production, Mayhew was in bad health. However, his family notes that the actor “fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall and portray Chewbacca once more.”
“He also consulted on The Last Jedi in an attempt to teach his successor,” the family says. “He 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 nowcaster from the hip, his bright blue eyes, down to each subtle movement of his head and mouth. But to him, the Star Wars family meant so much more to him than a role in a film.”
Fans will be able to attend a memorial service for Mayhew this December.
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