Original Chewbacca actor passes away at 74
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3 May - The Force won't be as strong this Fourth of May as another actor from the "Star Wars" franchise's original cast has forever gone into a galaxy far, far away.
Peter Mayhew, the man who brought the iconic character Chewbacca to life in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, has passed away at age 74.
The late actor's family announced the sad news via a letter posted on his personal Twitter, which revealed that he passed away on the evening of 30 April in his North Texas home with his family by his side.
Mayhew had been a very active participant of the "Star Wars" franchise. Aside from starring in the original trilogy, he also reprised his Chewbacca role in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".
He was also a Chewy consultant for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story".
Standing at 221cm, Mayhew was wheelchair-bound in recent years but as his family said it, he fought back to stand tall and portray Chewy once more in "The Force Awakens".
His cause of death has not been announced.
He is survived by his wife Angie and three children.
(Photo source: Peter Mayhew's Twitter)
