Chewbacca himself, Mr. Peter Mayhew, has died at the age of 74. His passing was reported this evening, but according to a tweet from his family, his death actually occurred on April 30th.
The tweet read, “The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away. He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home.” While Mayhew had suffered health issues for years, the specific cause of death is not yet known.
Standing 7’2″, the British-American actor is best known for portraying the Wookie Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise, including the entire original trilogy, as well as Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He later became a mentor to Finnish actor Joonas Suotamo, who would succeed Mayhew in the role of Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Mayhew was also a mainstay at comic conventions around the world, often posing with fans. Further, he established “The Peter Mayhew Foundation”, a non-profit organization which is “devoted to the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering, and the financial toll brought on by life’s traumatic events.”
He leaves behind his wife Angie, along with three children, and innumerable fans. His family has asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, one might make a donation to the Peter Mayhew Foundation at the following link.
https://petermayhewfoundation.org/make-a-donation.php
RIP, Chewey, you will be missed.
