Last night, the Star Wars fandom was shaken by the news that original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew had passed away at the age of 74.
The announcement came from Mayhew’s official Twitter account, which also shared a statement from the star’s family:
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. pic.twitter.com/YZ5VLyuK0u
— Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) May 2, 2019
Mayhew was working as an orderly in a London hospital when he was discovered by George Lucas. The director cast him to play the beloved Wookiee in 1977’s A New Hope because of his towering stature. In the decades since, the actor portrayed Chewie for all of his live-action appearances up to and including 2015’s The Force Awakens, and...
The announcement came from Mayhew’s official Twitter account, which also shared a statement from the star’s family:
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. pic.twitter.com/YZ5VLyuK0u
— Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) May 2, 2019
Mayhew was working as an orderly in a London hospital when he was discovered by George Lucas. The director cast him to play the beloved Wookiee in 1977’s A New Hope because of his towering stature. In the decades since, the actor portrayed Chewie for all of his live-action appearances up to and including 2015’s The Force Awakens, and...
- 5/3/2019
- by David Pountain
- We Got This Covered
Similar News
Katy Perry Suggests Her Mom Was Fooled By An AI Picture Of Her At The Met Gala
- 5/7/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
“Firstly, I am impressed…”: Johan Pilestedt Reacts to the Helldivers 2’s Community’s ‘Sheer Willpower’ as Sony PlayStation Announce Landmark Decision
- 5/7/2024
- by Vibha Hegde
- FandomWire
Lynda Carter Honors ‘Wonder Woman’ Stunt Performer Jeannie Epper Following Death: “I Will Miss You”
- 5/7/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
“It’s frustrating a lot of the time”: Even the Generally Calm Ewan McGregor Slammed How One Star Wars Movie Was ‘The weirdest job you’ll ever do”
- 5/7/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
“Only Jedis carry that kind of weapon”: What George Lucas Initially Wanted to Call Lightsabers is Every Star Wars Fan’s Nightmare Come True
- 5/7/2024
- by Pratik Handore
- FandomWire
“Mesa going to hurt yousa”: Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Trailer Addresses Longstanding Darth Jar Jar Theory
- 5/6/2024
- by Swagata Das
- FandomWire
Lego Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy Trailer Sees Lucasfilm Finally Bring Darth Jar Jar To Life On Screen
- 5/7/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Patty Jenkins on Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Wonder Woman 3
- 5/7/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
'Wonder Woman 3’ director Patty Jenkins reveals the Gal Gadot-starrer isn't likely to happen
- 5/7/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.