6 / STAR WARS INSIDER

LAUNCHPAD

NEWS / BOOKS /COMICS / TOYS / GAMES /FASHION

A

Peter Mayhew

1944 –

Words: Christopher Cooper

ll of us here at Star Wars
Insider were saddened to
hear the news that one of
our heroes, Peter Mayhew,
passed away on April 30th, 2019. As
Chewbacca in Star Wars: A New Hope
(1977) and in four further instalments
of the saga, the actor delivered a
performance of great humor and
humanity as the mighty Wookiee,
imbuing the “walking carpet” with true
heart and soul. In the process, he not
only created a movie icon, but won the
love of countless millions of people all
over the world.
It’s worth remembering that the
Chewbacca costume was, by modern

fi lm-making standards, a simple

affair—a full-body woolen suit with

reams of yak hair stitched into it and

a hefty mask that all but engulfed the

actor. There were no animatronics

inside that mask, just a hinged jaw that

moved with Mayhew’s own. All that

could be seen were the actor’s eyes;

those sparkling blue eyes that told you

you could trust Chewie implicitly.

In preparation for the role, Mayhew

studied the movement of apes and

bears at his local zoo. This, combined

with his own unique physicality,

played a part in giving Chewbacca

a personality every bit as believable

as the human characters he starred

alongside, but I think it was those

wonderful, kind eyes that endeared

him to us the most.

Every account I’ve read of Mayhew’s

interactions with fans over the years

paint a picture of a warm hearted man

who was generous with his time, and

passionate about the character he gave

life to. With customary humilty, he told

Insider in a recent interview that, “I just

tried to do everything that was asked of

me”—but Mayhew did far more than

that. Through Chewbacca, Peter

Mayhew became a much loved part of

our lives, and will be greatly missed.

We’ll have a full tribute to the actor

in the next issue of Star Wars Insider.