Five things you didn’t know about Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew
Star Wars veteran was known to billions of fans as Han Solo’s Wookiee sidekick
Peter Mayhew, who portrayed Chewbacca in five Star Wars films, has died at the age of 74.
The London-born actor died at his home in Texas on Tuesday, his agent announced in a statement. He is survived by his wife, Angie, and three children.
Mayhew was the man behind Chewbacca, Han Solo’s loyal Wookiee sidekick, a role that he played from his first appearance in 1977’s A New Hope until 2015’s The Force Awakens. But here are five facts you may not know about Mayhew’s life and career.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He was 7ft 3in tall
Viewers would be forgiven for thinking that Chewbacca’s towering height in the Star Wars films was the result of cinematic trickery, but Mayhew was actually as tall as he appeared on screen.
His extreme height was the result of Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition affecting the connective tissue, resulting in a tall, thin frame and long, bony hands and feet. Some medical historians have speculated that Abraham Lincoln had the condition.
He did not set out to become an actor
Mayhew was working as an orderly at King’s College Hospital in London when a film producer who had spotted him in a newspaper article about men with big feet offered him a role as a minotaur in the 1977 film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, The Verge reports.
He then returned to his day job - but not for long. “One of the makeup men on Sinbad was also creating the Wookiee costume, and he suggested me to the producers of Star Wars,” he said in an interview.
The film’s casting directors had been struggling to find an actor tall enough to tower over 6ft 6in David Prowse, who had been cast as Darth Vader, and quickly decided to give Mayhew the role.
He wrote two children’s books
As well as his on-screen roles and frequent appearances on the convention circuit, Mayhew also penned two fantasy books for children.
Growing Up Giant and My Favorite Giant, which he wrote with his wife Angie, were inspired by his own childhood experiences of living with a physical difference.
His lightsaber cane got him in trouble with airport security
In his later years, Mayhew suffered from knee pain and often used a cane modelled after the lightsabers wielded by Star Wars heroes and villains.
In 2013, he was stopped by security guards at Denver International Airport, who took issue with his unusual walking stick and reportedly attempted to confiscate it, says Time. Officials relented when Mayhew began tweeting about the hold-up, and finally let him board his flight with his “lightsaber”.
“Giant man need giant cane… small cane snap like toothpick,” he explained on Twitter after the incident, adding: “Besides, my lightsaber cane is just cool.”
He acted as a tutor for his replacement
As Mayhew reached his 70s, his physical health had begun to decline - and for 2015’s The Force Awakens it was decided that he should share the role of Chewbacca with Finnish basketball player Joonas Suotamo.
For 2017’s The Last Jedi and Han Solo spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story, he handed over the on-screen role entirely to Suotamo, becoming the franchise’s official “Chewbacca consultant”. Suotamo has paid tribute to his Chewie mentor in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
“Studying the character he helped create was always a daunting task, but one that was made easier by his tutelage and kindness as we sought to bring Chewbacca to life for a new generation,” he said, describing Mayhew as an “absolutely one-of-a-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivalled class”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacation
The Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Doctors are taking on dental duties in low-income areas
Under the radar Physicians are biting into the dentistry industry
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Instagram hopes that blurring nudity in messages will make teens safer
The Explainer The option will be turned on by default for users under 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How 'Star Wars' ripped off 'Dune'
Under the Radar Quite a few people believe that George Lucas ripped off Frank Herbert's sci-fi universe. So does Herbert himself.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
The Master and Margarita: the new adaptation causing consternation at the Kremlin
Why Everyone's Talking About Pro-Putin groups have called for the film's director to be charged as a terrorist
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The new 'boom' in Latin American fiction
Why everyone's talking about Almost a quarter of International Booker Prize longlist comes from South America, a region in turmoil
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A former 'Star Wars' actor is at the center of a Disney free speech lawsuit
Under the Radar Gina Carano is suing the Mouse House to try to get her job back on 'The Mandalorian'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Poonam Pandey: the Indian model who faked her own death
Why Everyone's Talking About The Bollywood star has a reputation for outlandish stunts
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Unsung heroes of the year 2023
Under the radar The Week salutes those whose remarkable achievements deserve greater recognition
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Miss Universe 2023: win for inclusion or nothing to celebrate?
Talking Point Beauty pageant included mothers, plus-sized models and trans women – but fails to distract from global conflict
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Bad Bunny joins in criticism of AI music
Speed Read Concern growing in music industry over generative learning, unauthorised impersonations and copyright issues
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published