Today, May 2, 2019, we found out from the family of Peter Mayhew that he has passed away. The actor that everyone across the world knew as Chewbacca died at age 74 on April 30th, 2019 surrounded by his family in his North Texas home.
To Star Wars fan, Peter Mayhew brought the movies to life in a way that none of the other actors could. His incredible size and the physicality that he brought to the character of Chewbacca made fans around the world believe that Wookies, and thus the entire Star Wars mythos, could be real.
He not only brought Chewbacca to life physically, but emotionally as well. As a child, Chewbacca was one of the first characters that I could connect with that didn’t speak a discernible word. He didn’t need subtitles or translations to make his point, because his body language and actions spoke volumes. Peter’s ability to express emotion through his body alone made Chewbacca feel more real than most people would have thought possible.
We will be forever grateful for your work, Peter. May the Force be with you, always.
