Peter Mayhew facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Mayhew
Mayhew at the 2015 Florida Supercon
Born	Peter William Mayhew (1944-05-19)19 May 1944 Barnes, Surrey, England
Died	30 April 2019(2019-04-30) (aged 74) Boyd, Texas, US
Resting place	Azleland Memorial Park and Mausoleum Reno, Texas, US
Nationality	United Kingdom United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–2016
Known for	Playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise
Height	7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
Spouse(s)	Mary Cigainero ​ (m. 1999)​

Peter William Mayhew (born May 19, 1944 – died April 30, 2019) was an actor from both Britain and America. He was most famous for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies. He played this furry character in all his live-action appearances from the very first Star Wars film in 1977 until The Force Awakens in 2015. After that, he retired from the role.

Peter Mayhew's Early Life

Peter Mayhew was born in Barnes, Surrey, England, on May 19, 1944. When he was 8 years old, doctors found out he had gigantism. This is a condition that makes people grow much taller than average. Peter grew to be 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 meters) tall.

Mayhew's Acting Career

Starting Out in Acting

Peter Mayhew got his first acting job after the people making the movie Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) saw his picture in a newspaper. They were looking for someone tall and cast him as a creature called the Minoton.

Mayhew in a photo from the radiology department, King's College Hospital, London, 1972

Mayhew at the 2008 Big Apple Con with a picture of Chewbacca

Becoming Chewbacca in Star Wars

When director George Lucas was looking for actors for the first Star Wars movie in 1977, he needed a very tall person to play the furry alien, Chewbacca. He first thought of a bodybuilder named David Prowse, but Prowse chose to play Darth Vader instead.

This led Lucas to Peter Mayhew, who was working as a hospital assistant at the time. Peter heard about the auditions for Star Wars. When he stood up to greet George Lucas, his height of 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 meters) immediately got him the part of Chewbacca! Peter continued working at the hospital between filming the original Star Wars movies.

Peter Mayhew studied how bears, monkeys, and gorillas acted at London Zoo to help him play Chewbacca. George Lucas said Peter was "the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee" because he had a "big heart" and a "gentle nature." Chewbacca didn't speak words; his sounds were made from recordings of animal noises.

Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca in five Star Wars films:

• The original three movies: Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

He also played Chewbacca in a 1978 TV special called Star Wars Holiday Special and on The Muppet Show in 1980. He even recorded sounds for a Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon episode called "Wookiee Hunt."

Peter Mayhew often appeared as Chewbacca in commercials and visited sick children in hospitals. He received a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Film Awards in 1997 for his role.

He also appeared on other TV shows, like Identity, where his secret was that he played Chewbacca.

Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but he didn't appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, he was listed in the credits as a "Chewbacca Consultant." Peter stopped playing Chewbacca because of health problems. Another actor, Joonas Suotamo, shared the role with Peter in The Force Awakens and then took over completely in later Star Wars films.

Other Acting Roles

Besides Star Wars, Peter Mayhew was in a 1978 horror movie called Terror. He also provided the voice for a character named Susha in the English version of Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy. He appeared in the movie Yesterday Was a Lie too.

Books Written by Peter Mayhew

Peter Mayhew wrote two books especially for young people:

• Growing Up Giant: This book teaches that being different can be a strength.
• My Favorite Giant: This is an anti-bullying book for children.

Peter Mayhew's Personal Life and Passing

Peter Mayhew married Mary Angelique "Angie" Luker in 1999. She was from Texas. They lived together in Boyd, Texas. Peter was a stepfather to Mary's three children. His wife later led a charity named after him, called the Peter Mayhew Foundation.

In 2005, Peter Mayhew became a citizen of the United States. He joked that he didn't get a medal at the ceremony, which was a funny reference to the end of the first Star Wars movie where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo get medals, but Chewbacca doesn't. Peter later pointed out that even though Chewbacca didn't get a medal, he did have the very last sound in the movie, a roar!

Peter had surgery on both his knees in 2013. For two years before that, he had used a wheelchair full-time. He still relied on it a lot when filming The Force Awakens. In 2018, he shared on Twitter that he had successful back surgery to help him move better.

Peter Mayhew passed away from a heart attack on April 30, 2019, at his home in Boyd, Texas. He was almost 75 years old. He was buried in Reno, Parker County, Texas, at Azleland Memorial Park and Mausoleum.

Peter Mayhew's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

See also

• List of tallest people