Peter Mayhew, Actor Behind Chewbacca’s Mask in ‘Star Wars,’ Dies at 74

RIP: He was a great guy and will be missed by many.

#RIP Peter "Chewbacca" Mayhew

Farewell, Mr. Mayhew. Thank you for bringing joy to so many people through your portrayal of the loyal and lovable Chewbacca. You will never know how many hearts you won or how many imaginations you inspired to reach for the stars. Rest in peace, and may the force be with you.

May the Fourth be with him

Mourning Chewbacca Chewbacca is dead, He who inhabited his skin, Should we all morn Now his fur has been shorn? I say we do The dead dude up right, All of the fixing’s for a send-off to pearly, Fur line the casket with cat critter faux – The dude is entitled to a luxury go Tripped up, at last, on his fore-paws he ambled At seventy-four to the dude’s Hideaway – Can’t say, we cant, he left us to early, Oh, gentle Chewbacca, on his forepaws he'll go.

I am touched by reading this article. Truth be told, I did not know who played Chewie before reading this. Thank you for a beautiful article as it makes me want to watch the movies. I have friends who are big Star Wars fans, and given that tomorrow is Star Wars Day, I am sure that many fans around the world will remember and celebrate his life.

"Star Wars" was one of the few movies I watched when I was a teenager that I had to watch in the theater again and I obviously wasn't alone in feeling deeply moved and entertained - the movie was a vision of a different world as transporting and effecting as "Oz" was for me when I was a child. The sincerity of the young cast in "Star Wars" was palpable and in reading about Mr. Mayhew's life and death, the decades of affection and deep respect from his "Star Wars" colleagues is not surprising. I'm grateful that I got to witness the Wookie Chewbacca's debut when I was a young teenager. Mayhew's and Harrison Ford's comradery and on-screen chemistry were the 1970's answer to Hope and Crosby's "On The Road" movies, except the that trips were intergalactic instead of intercontinental.

It is only a few who have the opportunity to bring so much happiness and laughter to so many. Mr. Mayhew made the most of this opportunity, and he did so with grace, humility and a good sense of humor. He will be missed.

Farewell to Peter Mayhew, the actor behind the wonderful sidekick Chewbacca, or Chewie as his best friend Han Solo called him. Ironic that this actor, little known outside Star Wars fandom, got to play alongside the megastar Harrison Ford. It was said that jittery Hollywood executives originally wanted the Wookie to wear lederhosen instead of having the furry creature appear unclothed. Imagine how silly that would have been. But Mayhew imbued the character with a warmth and humor, and of course Chewie's incredibly bad temper. He even got a rare moment of character development in Empire Strikes Back, as he develops fondness and a bond with the finicky droid C-3PO, while he attempts to reassemble all the broken pieces of the character. He then carries the incomplete robot around in a backpack. It was a touching moment in a fast paced saga, that rarely takes time for sidebars in the plot. Thanks to Peter's human touch.

May the Force be with him. Rest in Peace, Peter Mayhew.

There is no way Chewbacca or Godzilla (first incarnation thanks to Haruo Nakajima) would have ever been as memorable and become the legends that they are without the person inside the costume being able to bring forth their humanity into making them not only believable but relatable to the audience. Even in the most intense scenes, there was still that cheeky whiff of humor and the joy that both of these men were able to so clearly express despite the bulky costumes. That's true talent and acting! Mr. Mayhew, your gentleness and wonderful expressive skills will definitely be missed but at least future generations will get to see your genius in action.

What a lovely photo to use for this story marking Mr. Mayhew's passing. The look on his face is a true reflection of the happiness and joy he brings to millions of Star Wars fans. Would that we all could be lucky enough to touch others like he did.

May the force be with you...RIP

Peter Mayhew created a lovable and enduring contribution to mass culture, who was adored by countless millions. He will be missed and mourned by many. May the Force be with you, sir - always!

“I have a really bad feeling about this.” Rest in peace.

This obituary describes the talents Mr. Mayhew brought to playing his role well, and it's clear that his great height didn't shape him into an arrogant man, as often happens. Mr. Mayhew's talents are being usurped in movies now by motion capture technology and computer-generated imagery. Movies are all about moving images, and whatever succeeds at this will prevail. It will be sad, though, to see one actor's talents in creating an otherworldly character no longer used. The day will come when his acting will be seen in the context of having been a long time ago, in a film industry far, far away.

RIP sir. You will remain in Star Wars history

RIP Chewie......waiting in line for the very first Star Wars screening in Spokane so many years ago was well worth meeting you for the first of many times!