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 Suotamo (born October 3, 1986) is an actor from Finland. He used to be a professional basketball player.

Joonas is famous for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies. He first helped the original Chewbacca actor, Peter Mayhew, as a "body double" in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Later, he took over the role completely.

He played 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 School

Joonas Suotamo was born in Espoo, Finland. When he was young, he acted in plays on stage.

He went to Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in the United States. There, he played basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions team. He played as a power forward and center.

Joonas was also interested in music, art, and movies. He studied film and video at PSU. He was a very good student and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team twice. He finished college early in December 2008. This allowed him to complete his military service in Finland and start a career in movies.

Basketball Career

Joonas Suotamo played basketball for seven seasons in Finland. Four of those seasons were in the top league, called Korisliiga.

He also played three games for the main Finnish national basketball team. Before that, 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 started as a "body double" for Peter Mayhew, the original actor who played Chewbacca. Peter Mayhew was getting older and it was harder for him to play the part.

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

Joonas also played a different Wookiee character named Kelnacca. This was in the TV series The Acolyte, which is part of the Star Wars universe.

Movies and TV Shows

Film

Streaming Series

Year(s)	Title	Role	Notes	Network
2022–2023	Willow	The Scourge	4 episodes	Disney+
2024	The Acolyte	Kelnacca	5 episodes
2025	Wednesday	0TBA	Season 2; guest role	Netflix

See also

In Spanish: Joonas Suotamo para niños