Chewbacca of "Star Wars" dies at age 74 – Variety



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Peter Mayhew, the actor of "Star Wars," who played Chewbacca in the original trilogy, died Tuesday, his family announced on his Twitter. He was 74 years old.

He died in his home in North Texas surrounded by his family, read the statement from Twitter.

Discovered by producer Charles H. Schneer while he was working as a hospital employee in London, he had interpreted the role of Sinbad and the tiger eye in Ray Harryhausen. The following year, he was chosen for the role of Chewbacca, the 200 year old Wookiee. .


Peter Mayhew Star Wars

CREDIT: uncredited / AP / REX / Shutterstock

Mayhew then appeared in "The Empire's Counter Attack," "The Return of the Jedi," "The Revenge of the Sith," "The Awakening of the Force," and "The Special Star Wars Holiday." He actively participated in the "Star Wars". circuit convention and wrote two books, "Growing Up Giant" and "My Favorite Giant".

Its size was not due to gigantism, but it was 7 feet 3 inches high. Originally, George Lucas had an eye on bodybuilder George Prowse, but Prowse decided to play Darth Vader instead and Lucas accompanied the greatest Mayhew.

On television, he made appearances in "Donny & Marie", "The Muppet Show" and "Glee". He rarely played roles outside of Chewbacca, apart from "Dark Towers," on which he had played the movie The Great Knight and the horror "Terror," in which he played the mechanic.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held on June 29, with a memorial for fans in Los Angeles early December at EmpireCon. He is survived by his wife Angie and three children.

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