Friday 3 May 2019

Peter Mayhew, Star Wars' Chewbacca, dies aged 74



Awoke to the terribly sad news that Peter Mayhew has passed away aged 74.

Mayhew played the mighty Chewbacca, Millennium Falcon co-pilot and best friend of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), in the original Star Wars trilogy and became a beloved fan-favourite to generations of fans (myself included).

"He put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca and it showed in every frame," his family said.

Together, Ford and Mayhew co-piloted the Millennium Falcon and took on the Empire in some of the franchise's most memorable scenes. "We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him," said Ford.

"He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience."

Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, said: "What was so remarkable about him was his spirit and his kindness and his gentleness was so close to what a Wookiee is.

"He just radiated happiness and warmth. He was always up for a laugh and we just hit it off immediately and stayed friends for over 40 years."

I'll always cherish the bittersweet childhood memory of discovering, on Christmas morning, that my grandparents' dog, Smurf, had chewed up action figure Chewie!

May the Force be with you, sir! Always. RIP.

What are your favourite memories of Chewbacca? Let me know in the comments below.

2 comments:

  1. He will be missed. I need a Wookiee hug.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed! My dad got misty-eyed watching a news bulletin.

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