Peter Mayhew
Peter Mayhew | |
|---|---|
 Mayhew at the Big Apple Con, 14 November 2008, sitting in front of an image of his most famous role as Chewbacca | |
| Born | 19 May 1944 |
| Nationality | British, American |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Chewbacca |
| Height | 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) |
| Spouse | Angie Luker (1999–present) |
| Website | Peter Mayhew on X |
Peter Mayhew (born 19 May 1944)[1] is a British-American actor. He is best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films.
Early life and physique
Mayhew was born on 19 May 1944 in Barnes, Surrey, where he was also raised.[1] His height is a product not of gigantism — "I don't have the big head" — but of a genetic disease called Marfan Syndrome. The condition was treated successfully in his mid-teens.[2] His peak height was 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m).[3]
Career
Early work
Mayhew got his first acting job in 1976 when the producers of Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger discovered him from a photograph in a newspaper article about men with large feet, and cast him in the role of the minotaur.[citation needed]
Chewbacca
When casting his first Star Wars film, producer George Lucas needed a tall actor who could fit the role of the hairy alien Chewbacca. He originally had in mind 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) bodybuilder David Prowse, but instead cast Prowse as Darth Vader. This led Lucas on a search which turned up Mayhew, who says that all he had to do to be cast in the role of Chewbacca was stand up.[4][citation needed]
When cast in the role, Mayhew studied the movement of large animals at the zoo to come up with an authentic sense of movement for Chewbacca.[citation needed] His work proved so distinctive that when Mayhew became ill during the shooting of The Empire Strikes Back and had to be replaced by a similarly tall stand-in, the new actor was unable to mimic Mayhew's movement style and the scenes had to be re-shot upon Mayhew's recovery.[citation needed] Mayhew did not provide the voice of Chewbacca; that was created by the film's sound designer, Ben Burtt, by mixing together the growls of different animals.[citation needed]
Mayhew has played Chewbacca in four Star Wars films: the original trilogy (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He also played the role in the 1978 television film Star Wars Holiday Special and in an appearance on The Muppet Show. He also recorded dialogue for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 finale episode "Wookiee Hunt".[5][6]
Mayhew also plays the role in commercials and for hospital appearances for sick children and has made numerous appearances as Chewbacca outside the Star Wars films. Mayhew as Chewbacca was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Film Awards 1997. He was additionally honoured at the release of the new PlayStation Portable where he dressed as Chewbacca and held up the new PSP slim version.
He has made other media appearances without the Chewbacca costume. He appeared on NBC's Identity, where his identity was based on the fact that he played Chewbacca and was a frequent guest in the early days of Slice of SciFi.
Despite his recent[when?] health setbacks, it has been reported that Mayhew will reprise his role of Chewbacca in Star Wars Episode VII which is scheduled to start filming in May 2014 and feature the return of cast members that appeared in the original trilogy.[7] On April 29, 2014, it was confirmed that Mayhew would reprise his role.[8]
Other work
Outside Star Wars, Mayhew has appeared in the horror film Terror, directed by Norman J. Warren. In the English version of Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy, he provided the voice for Susha.
Personal life
Mayhew now lives in Boyd, Texas[9] and is a business owner. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2005 at a ceremony in Arlington, Texas.[10] In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram[11] he joked that he didn't get a medal at this ceremony either, a reference to the Star Wars scene in which Luke and Han get medals but Chewbacca does not. Mayhew noted in an MTV interview that although Chewbacca doesn't get a medal in the film, he does get the last line, when he roars.[12]
Mayhew's seven-foot, three-inch height has stressed his knees and he was forced to undergo double knee replacement surgery in 2013.[13]
References
- ^ a b "Entertainment". Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter. 2009-05-19. p. C6.
- ^ Karl Quinn (12 April 2014). "Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew in Melbourne for Supernova fan convention". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ^ All about Peter Mayhew
- ^ Mayhew, Peter. "Peter Mayhew David Prowse at Salt Lake City Comicon". Youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ^ Remaking Wookiee: Chewbacca Becomes a Character on 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars', retrieved 2011-05-31
- ^ "The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Wookiee Hunt", StarWars.com, retrieved April 1, 2011
- ^ Ford, Rebecca (April 7, 2014). "'Star Wars: Episode VII' Adds Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announced.html
- ^ Chewbacca Making Dallas-Area Appearances | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
- ^ "Star Wars actor who played Chewbacca to become American citizen". The Canadian Press. 2005-10-12. p. 16.
- ^ 'Star Wars' actor, others pledge their allegiance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, People Watch, Metro Section, page B2, October 18, 2005.
- ^ Interview - Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca Speaks!), 2008-04-30
- ^ Wookie knee repair: 'Star Wars' actor Peter Mayhew hopes to walk again after Fort Worth surgery, at the Dallas Morning News; published September 11, 2013
External links
- Peter Mayhew at IMDb
- Star Wars bio
- Interview with Peter Mayhew on Slice of SciFi (starts at 36:55 of show)
- Interview with Peter Mayhew on Monster Island News
- Star Wars Films at 20th Century Fox
- Star Wars Films at 20th Century Fox, UK