Joonas Suotamo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joonas Suotamo
Suotamo with Lappeenrannan NMKY in 2010
Born	Joonas Viljami Suotamo (1986-10-03) 3 October 1986 (age 38) Espoo, Finland
Alma mater	Pennsylvania State University (B.A., 2008)
Known for	Playing Chewbacca in Star Wars
Center Personal information Listed height 6 ft 11 in (211 cm) Listed weight 231 lb (105 kg) Career information College Penn State 2005–2008 Pro career 2004–2015 Career history 2004–2005 Honka 2008–2010 LrNMKY 2010–2011 Honka 2012–2015 EBT

Joonas Viljami Suotamo (born 3 October 1986) is a Finnish actor and a former professional basketball player. He is most famous for playing the Wookiee character Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies.

Joonas took over the role of Chewbacca from the original actor, Peter Mayhew. He first appeared as a body double in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Later, he became the main actor for Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Early Life and Education

Joonas Suotamo was born in Espoo, Finland. When he was younger, he enjoyed acting in plays on stage. He went to Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in the United States.

At PSU, he played basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions team. He played in the power forward and center positions. Joonas was also interested in music, art, and movies. He studied film and video at the university. He was a good student and graduated in December 2008.

Basketball Career

Before becoming a famous actor, Joonas Suotamo had a career in basketball.

Playing for Clubs

Joonas played basketball for seven seasons in Finland's leagues. Four of those seasons were in the top league.

Playing for the National Team

He also played three games for the Finland men's national basketball team. He played 66 games for Finland's junior national teams.

Acting Career

Joonas Suotamo is best known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies. He first started as a body double for Peter Mayhew, the original Chewbacca actor. Peter Mayhew was getting older and it was harder for him to play the role.

Joonas took over the role completely in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). Peter Mayhew still helped out as a consultant for the character. Joonas continued to play Chewbacca in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

In 2024, Joonas played a different Wookiee character named Kelnacca in the TV series The Acolyte. This was his first Star Wars role where he wasn't playing Chewbacca.

Filmography

Movies

Streaming Series

See also

In Spanish: Joonas Suotamo para niños