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Peter Mayhew

Peter Mayhew’s film career was built around one role, but it was hardly a small one. Standing a commonly reported 7 feet 3 inches tall, the Barnes-born actor gave Chewbacca the physical presence that helped make the character such a vital part of Star Wars. Before movies, Mayhew worked as a hospital orderly and porter in London. His exceptional height, caused by pituitary overactivity diagnosed in his youth, brought him to the attention of filmmakers through a newspaper feature. He was cast as Minoton in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977), a small screen role that led to his casting as Chewbacca. In Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), Mayhew makes Chewbacca much more than an imposing figure beside Han Solo. His careful movement and expressive body language give the towering Wookiee warmth, humour and personality. He went on to perform the role throughout the original trilogy, returning for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Mayhew later reprised Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). He shared the role with body double Joonas Suotamo in The Force Awakens (2015), as health problems increasingly limited his mobility. On later productions, Mayhew remained connected to the character as a credited Chewbacca consultant, while Suotamo eventually succeeded him as the principal performer. Away from the costume, Mayhew was credited with children’s books including Growing Up Giant and My Favorite Giant. He was also involved with the Peter Mayhew Foundation and its charitable fundraising and support work. Born Peter William Mayhew in south-west London on 19 May 1944, he became a US citizen in 2005 and lived in Texas. He died at his home in Boyd, Texas, on 30 April 2019. Mayhew’s career remains inseparable from Chewbacca, and with good reason: across several generations of Star Wars films, his physical performance established the character audiences first came to know.