Sad news for fans of Star Wars as Peter Mayhew, the actor behind the iconic Chewbacca character, has passed away at the age of 74. His family released this statement on social media yesterday.
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
Within moments of the post, tributes from his Star Wars cast-mates flooded in.
“We are deeply saddened today by the news of Peter Mayhew’s passing. Since 1976, Peter’s iconic portrayal of the loyal, lovable Chewbacca has been absolutely integral to the character’s success, and to the Star Wars saga itself.”-Kathleen Kennedy.
More: https://t.co/iGfk9XRzKa pic.twitter.com/5edrPrEuRS
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 3, 2019
— JJ Abrams (@jjabrams) May 3, 2019
He was the gentlest of giants-A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly-I’m grateful for the memories we shared & I’m a better man for just having known him. Thanks Pete #RIPPeterMayhew #Heartbroken @TheWookieeRoars pic.twitter.com/8xbq9HEWF2
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 2, 2019
Much more than Chewie to me…My heart hurts…I will miss you my dear friend…thanks for the great memories! #RIPPeterMayhew #StarWars pic.twitter.com/0DfCo59zpG
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) May 3, 2019
Perhaps the greatest tribute was from the man who was partnered up most often with Peter Mayhew on screen, Harrison Ford.
“I loved him.” Harrison Ford bids farewell to ‘Star Wars’ co-star Peter Mayhew https://t.co/aRdZ6cEu8I
— TIME (@TIME) May 3, 2019
There are far too many tributes to post within this blog, but if you want to see more, follow Peter Mayhew’s twitter page. His family is retweeting many of the tributes and sharing some fun stories about the actor. You can read more about Peter Mayhew, HERE
~ Hunter
