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Peter Mayhew

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For other people named Peter Mayhew, see Peter Mayhew (disambiguation).

Peter Mayhew
Mayhew at the 2015 Florida Supercon
Born
Peter William Mayhew

(1944-05-19)19 May 1944
Barnes, Surrey, England
Died30 April 2019(2019-04-30) (aged 74)
Boyd, Texas, US
Resting placeAzleland Memorial Park and
Mausoleum Reno, Texas, US
OccupationActor
Years active1976–2016
Known forPlaying Chewbacca in the
Star Wars franchise
Height7 ft 3 in (221 cm)[1]
Spouse
Mary Cigainero
​
(m. 1999)​

Peter William Mayhew[2] (19 May 1944 – 30 April 2019) was a British-American actor. He was best known for portraying Chewbacca in the Star Wars film series. He played the character in all of his live-action appearances from the 1977 original to 2015's The Force Awakens before his retirement from the role. He also voiced the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and portrayed him in some non-canon television shows including The Muppet Show.

Early life

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Peter Mayhew was born on 19 May 1944, in Barnes, Surrey. At the age of 8, he was diagnosed with gigantism.[3] Mayhew also had a genetic tissue disorder called Marfan syndrome.[4][5] His peak height was 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m).[6]

Career

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Early work

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Mayhew gained his first acting job when the producers of Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) discovered him from a photograph in a newspaper article about men with large feet, and cast him in the role of the Minoton.[7][8]

Star Wars

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Main article: Star Wars
Further information: Star Wars original trilogy and Chewbacca

1977-1983: Star Wars original trilogy

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Mayhew played Chewbacca in five Star Wars films of the Skywalker saga: the original trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[9]

When casting the original Star Wars (1977), director George Lucas needed a tall actor who could fit the role of the hairy alien Chewbacca. He originally had in mind 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) bodybuilder David Prowse, but Prowse chose to play Darth Vader. This led Lucas to cast Mayhew, who was working as a hospital orderly in the emergency department at Mayday University Hospital in Surrey.[10] He became aware of a casting call for Star Wars which was filming at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire.[11] The 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) tall actor was immediately cast as Chewbacca after he stood up to greet Lucas.[11][12] Mayhew continued working as an orderly at the same hospital in between filming the original Star Wars trilogy.[13] The success and cultural impact of Star Wars led to further sequels rounding out the original trilogy, two more trilogies and television shows which continued Mayhew's association with his character and the franchise for the next decades.

Mayhew modelled his performance of Chewbacca after researching the behaviour of bears, monkeys and gorillas he saw at London Zoo.[14] Lucas said Mayhew was "the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature and I learnt to always let him win".[14] The character did not have any lines, the sounds he made being derived from sound recordings of animal noises.[15]

Mayhew at the 2008 Big Apple Con sitting in front of an image of Chewbacca

The release of Star Wars, the first film in the series and fourth chapter of the Skywalker saga, took place in 1977 and received positive reviews. He filmed several scenes for the original trilogy at Elstree Studios.[16] Mayhew starred in The Empire Strikes Back; the film received positive reviews and was the highest-grossing film of the year. Ever since its release and even after a reassessment, it is considered to be the best film in the Star Wars series. He also appeared in the 1980 television documentary special, SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back. Although Return of the Jedi marked the end of the original trilogy, some back stories George Lucas created would generate production and filming of the prequel trilogy in the 1990s and eventually contribute to Mayhew's reprisal.

2003-2011: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars

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"As soon as I put the Chewie costume on, the character came out. It was like riding a bike. One minute I could be standing there talking to someone and having a normal conversation, but the moment I put on the mask, I became the character. Chewbacca literally came alive. It was quite amazing."

 -Peter Mayhew's memories of putting on the Chewbacca costume[17]

By the time Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones was released to cinemas in May 2002, work had begun on the last film of the prequel trilogy.[18] On 23 April 2003, it was announced on the Star Wars website that Mayhew would reprise his role in Revenge of the Sith, the last instalment of the prequel trilogy and last film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.[19] It was also announced that two of his co-stars from the original trilogy, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker would reprise their roles as C-3PO and R2-D2 respectively.[19] The events of the film take place 19 years before the first theatrical film Mayhew appeared in. Prior to the announcement, Mayhew received a phone call from Rick McCallum asking if he was available.[17] Upon his return, Mayhew said, "Not only was it great personally to be able to become that character again, to bring him back after all this time, but it generally seemed to make people happy."[17] He also described his character as "very comforting."[17]

Most of the live-action scenes had been completed during the 57-day shoot in 2003, however several scenes including the Battle of Kashyyyk had not been.[17] In the summer of 2003, Mayhew and seven new Wookiee performers had their costume fittings.[17] A new Chewbacca costume was made for Mayhew and it included a foam musculature.[20] The costume also reflected the character being 19 years younger than his counterpart in A New Hope.[20] There was no ventilation system in the original costume but this time the new costume featured "an arterial cooling system underneath the fur."[20] Mayhew's scenes were quieter because although Chewbacca was featured alongside Yoda the latter was digitally added later.[20] Kashyyyk had been previously featured in Star Wars Holiday Special which Mayhew appeared in. Mayhew and the Wookiee actors filmed their scenes for the Battle of Kashyyyk at Sydney in the Spring of 2004.[17]

Revenge of the Sith was released in cinemas in May 2005 and received positive reviews. He also recorded dialogue for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 finale episode "Wookiee Hunt".[21] The animated television series takes place between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

2012-2016: Last Star Wars film and successor

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In October 2012, the Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm and announced that the sequel trilogy would be made with Episode VII being released in 2015. In April 2014, it was announced that Mayhew would reprise his role in the first instalment of the sequel trilogy and seventh Star Wars film.[9][22] He acted opposite several of his co-stars including Harrison Ford from the original trilogy again and new cast members including Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. The Force Awakens was the first live-action Star Wars film to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film received positive reviews, was the highest grossing film of 2015, grossed $2.07 billion worldwide and became the third-highest grossing film at the time of its release.

While Mayhew portrayed Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he was not in Star Wars: The Last Jedi but was listed in the credits as "Chewbacca Consultant".[23][24] Mayhew retired from playing Chewbacca due to health issues. Joonas Suotamo shared the portrayal of Chewbacca with Mayhew in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and then completely replaced him in subsequent Star Wars films.[a][25][26]

1977-2019: Television, commercials and other appearances

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Mayhew made a guest appearance in a Star Wars special of the Donny & Marie show.[27] He and Anthony Daniels were the only actors from Star Wars to appear in the television special.[28] Mayhew played the role in the 1978 television film Star Wars Holiday Special, set between the events of Star Wars and the yet to be released sequel.[29] The television special was broadcast only once and received negative reviews but became a cult classic among Star Wars fans when bootleg recordings were uploaded to the internet.[30] In 1980 made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, The Stars of Star Wars; the crossover episode also starred Daniels as C-3PO, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 who went on a search for Chewbacca.[31] They filmed scenes at ATV Studios in January 1980.[31]

Mayhew played the role in commercials and hospital appearances for sick children, and made numerous appearances as Chewbacca outside the Star Wars films. Mayhew, appearing as Chewbacca, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Film Awards 1997.[32]

He also made other media appearances outside of playing Chewbacca. He appeared on NBC's Identity, where his identity was based on his role as Chewbacca and was a frequent guest in the early days of Slice of SciFi.[33]

His final convention appearance was Star Wars Celebration Chicago in 2019.[34]

Other work

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Outside Star Wars, Mayhew appeared in the 1978 horror film Terror, directed by Norman J. Warren.[35][36] In the English version of Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy, he provided the voice for Susha.[37] He also appeared in Yesterday Was a Lie.[38]

Books

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Mayhew wrote two books for younger audiences: Growing Up Giant,[39] which explains that being different is a strength instead of a weakness, and the anti-bullying book for children My Favorite Giant.[40]

Personal life

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Mayhew moved to Wheathead Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire, in 1987.[2][41] He invested in and worked at a timber yard just over the City of Bradford border in South Craven, North Yorkshire.[2][42] He became a supporter of Keighley Rugby Union Football Club.[2][41]

Mayhew married Mary Angelique "Angie" Luker (née Cigainero), a native of Texas, in 1999.[43][2] The two lived in Boyd, Texas, United States, where he had moved to in 2000.[2][42] Peter was the stepfather to Mary's three children.[44][45] It was reported that his wife would head his namesake charity, the Peter Mayhew Foundation.

Mayhew became a naturalised citizen of the United States in 2005 at a ceremony in Arlington, Texas.[46][47] In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he joked that he did not get a medal at this ceremony either, a reference to the closing scene in Star Wars during which Luke Skywalker and Han Solo get medals, but Chewbacca does not. Mayhew noted in an MTV interview that although Chewbacca does not get a medal in the film, he does have the last line of dialogue, when he roars.[48]

Mayhew underwent double knee replacement surgery in 2013,[49] having been a full-time wheelchair user for the previous two years and still largely reliant on it at the time of filming The Force Awakens.[50] In July 2018, Mayhew announced via Twitter that he had successfully undergone unspecified spinal surgery to improve his mobility, and was recovering.[51][2]

Death and tributes

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Mayhew died of a heart attack on 30 April 2019, at his home in Boyd, Texas, at age 74.[52] He was buried in Reno, Parker County, Texas, in Azleland Memorial Park and Mausoleum.[53]

Harrison Ford praised Mayhew for his "great dignity and noble character".[54][24] Mark Hamill called Mayhew "the gentlest of giants."[24]

Anthony Daniels detailed his recollections about working with Mayhew on the original trilogy, the Star Wars Holiday Special and non-canon television shows in his 2019 memoirs, I Am C-3PO.[55]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1977 Star Wars Chewbacca [9][56]
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger Minoton Uncredited [7]
1978 Terror The Mechanic [36]
1980 The Empire Strikes Back Chewbacca [9][57]
1982 Return of the Ewok Video [58]
1983 Return of the Jedi [9]
1987 Star Tours Short; uncredited [59]
2004 Comic Book: The Movie Himself [60]
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Chewbacca [9]
2008 Yesterday Was a Lie Dead Man [38]
2009 Fanboys Himself Uncredited
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chewbacca Shared role with Joonas Suotamo and final film role [2]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1977 Donny & Marie Chewbacca Episode # 3.1 [61][27]
1978 Star Wars Holiday Special TV special [62]
1979 Hazell Episode "Hazell and the Big Sleep" [citation needed]
1980 The Muppet Show Chewbacca Episode: The Stars of Star Wars [63][31]
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back Himself Television documentary drama
1981 Dark Towers The Tall Knight [36]
1985 The Kenny Everett Television Show Various Episode #3.3 [64]
2004 Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy Susha (Gettō) Voice; English dub; TV special [37]
2011 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Chewbacca Episode: Wookiee Hunt; Special Thanks [65]
Glee Episode: Extraordinary Merry Christmas
2012 Breaking In Himself Episode: Episode XIII
2015 Comic Book Men Himself Episode: Wookiee Fever

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Rise of Skywalker.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Liptak, Andrew (2 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew, the actor who brought Chewbacca to life, has died". The Verge. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Hayward, Anthony (3 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Remembering Peter". Peter Mayhew Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ Quinn, Karl (12 April 2014). "Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew in Melbourne for Supernova fan convention". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  5. ^ Vankin, Jonathan (20 January 2015). "'Star Wars' actor, Peter 'Chewbacca' Mayhew, 70, stricken with pneumonia—sends fans message from hospital". Inquisitr. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Peter Mayhew". PeterMayhew.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008.
  7. ^ a b Clark, Mark (2015). Star Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. ISBN 978-1-48036-018-1.
  8. ^ Hutchinson, Sean (19 May 2015). "15 Chewbacca Facts in Honour of Peter Mayhew's Birthday". Mental Floss. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Child, Ben (8 April 2014). "Original Chewbacca actor set to return in Star Wars: Episode VII". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  10. ^ Weiss, Josh (2 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew, original Chewbacca actor in Star Wars, passes away at 74". SYFY Wire. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, dies at age 74". ABC News Radio. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  12. ^ Hayward, Anthony (3 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Tributes to Star Wars Chewbacca actor who worked at Mayday Hospital in Croydon". 3 May 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Peter Mayhew obituary". The Times. London. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019. (subscription required)
  15. ^ Fortin, Jacey (2 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew, Actor Behind Chewbacca's Mask in Star Wars, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  16. ^ Daniels 2019, p. 59.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Magazines 2025, p. 58.
  18. ^ Magazines 2025, p. 1.
  19. ^ a b Rinzler 2005, p. 54.
  20. ^ a b c d Magazines 2025, p. 60.
  21. ^ Itzkoff, David (17 February 2011). "Remaking Wookiee: Chewbacca Becomes a Character on 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  22. ^ "Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced". starwars.com. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Star Wars: The Last Jedi—full credits". IMDb. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  24. ^ a b c Lisa Richwine; Steve Gorman (3 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew, actor who played Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' movies, dies". reuters.com. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  25. ^ Hawkes, Rebecca (6 January 2016). "The 'secret' Chewbacca: meet the 6'11" basketball star who shared the role with Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: The Force Awakens". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  26. ^ Orange, B. Alan (6 January 2016). "Meet The New Chewbacca Actor in Star Wars: The Force Awakens". MovieWeb. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  27. ^ a b Daniels 2019, p. 89.
  28. ^ Daniels 2019, pp. 89, 266.
  29. ^ Daniels 2019, p. 91.
  30. ^ Daniels 2019, p. 93.
  31. ^ a b c Daniels 2019, p. 99.
  32. ^ Chilton, Martin (13 December 2011). "Chewbacca film on Hollywood Black List". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  33. ^ Brooks, Summer (26 October 2005). "Slice of SciFi #30: Interview with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca, 'Star Wars')". Slice of SciFi. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  34. ^ "The Mighty Peter Mayhew and More Guests Coming to Star Wars Celebration Chicago". starwars.com. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2025. The actor who first brought the legendary Wookiee Chewbacca to life is returning to Star Wars Celebration Chicago this year, and he's bringing along quite a crew.
  35. ^ Wood, Chris (27 February 2010). "Terror (1978)". British Horror Films. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  36. ^ a b c Boucher, Geoff; Petski, Denise; Pedersen, Erik (2 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew Dies: 'Star Wars' Chewbacca Actor Was 74". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  37. ^ a b Walter, Joseph (22 July 2018). "20 Crazy Things Only True Fans Know About Dragon Ball GT". ScreenRant. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  38. ^ a b Chilton, Martin (4 May 2011). "Ewoks, sex dolls and comedy: what happened to the Star Wars cast". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  39. ^ Mayhew, Peter; Mayhew, Angie (19 November 2013). My Favorite Giant. One Mans Posse Production. ISBN 978-1-62098-826-8.
  40. ^ Goldman, Carrie (22 April 2011). "My Favorite Giant by Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)". ChicagoNow. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  41. ^ a b "Peter Mayhew, the former Keighley man who played Chewbacca in Star Wars, has died". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  42. ^ a b "Stars Wars gentle giant is back". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 20 May 2005. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  43. ^ Bushby, Helen (3 May 2019). "How Peter Mayhew became Chewbacca". BBC.
  44. ^ Paul, Kari; Convery, Stephanie (2 May 2019). "Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew dies aged 74". The Guardian.
  45. ^ Malone, Megan (8 February 2012). "Chewbacca Making Dallas-Area Appearances". nbcdfw.com. KXAS-TV. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  46. ^ "Star Wars actor who played Chewbacca to become American citizen". The Canadian Press. 12 October 2005. p. 16.
  47. ^ "Chewbacca actor to become an American". Today. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  48. ^ "'Star Wars' actor, others pledge their allegiance". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 18 October 2005. p. B2.
  49. ^ "Wookie knee repair: 'Star Wars' actor Peter Mayhew hopes to walk again after Fort Worth surgery". The Dallas Morning News. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  50. ^ Breznican, Anthony (2 May 2019). "Peter Mayhew remembered: How he said goodbye to playing Chewbacca". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  51. ^ Parker, Ryan (24 July 2018). "'Star Wars': Chewbacca Actor Peter Mayhew Undergoes Spinal Surgery". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  52. ^ Zarrell, Matt; Rothman, Michael (2 May 2019). "'Star Wars' actor Peter Mayhew dies at the age of 74, family says". ABC News. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  53. ^ "Peter Mayhew Obituary Apr 30, 2019 Azle, TX". Azle & Lake Worth Funeral Home.
  54. ^ "Peter Mayhew: Harrison Ford leads tributes to Star Wars' Chewbacca actor". BBC News. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2025. Star Wars star Harrison Ford has paid an emotional tribute to Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who has died aged 74, saying: "I loved him." Ford, who played Han Solo, praised the "kind and gentle man" for his "great dignity and noble character".
  55. ^ Daniels, pp. 59, 72, 89, 99, 109–110.
  56. ^ Daniels 2019, p. 59, 72.
  57. ^ Daniels 2019, pp. 109–110.
  58. ^ "Return of the Ewok (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  59. ^ Thomas, Bob (25 May 1987). "Star Wars celebrates 10th anniversary today". The Palm Beach Post. pp. 4E. Retrieved 3 May 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ Holmes, Adam (2 May 2019). "Chewbacca Actor Peter Mayhew Is Dead At 74". CinemaBlend. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  61. ^ Saperstein, Pat; Stedman, Alex (2 May 2019). "Chewbacca Actor Peter Mayhew From 'Star Wars' Dies at 74". Variety. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  62. ^ Alter, Ethan (16 November 2018). "'The Star Wars Holiday Special' at 40: How a landmark TV bomb was born". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  63. ^ Murray, Noel (12 February 2015). "When the Muppets met Star Wars". The Dissolve. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  64. ^ "Peter Mayhew dead at 74 after decades-long run playing Chewbacca in Star Wars films". ABC7 Chicago. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  65. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (17 February 2011). "Remaking Wookiee: Chewbacca Becomes a Character on 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
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