Peter Mayhew, Former ‘Star Wars’ Chewbacca Star Sadly Died
Hey, Star Wars fans. We’ve got some very sad news for you guys today. News has just recently broke that former Star Wars, Chewbacca star Peter Mayhew passed away a few days ago on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. According to his official Wikipedia page, he died of a heart attack at his home in Boyd, Texas just two weeks before he was to turn 75 years old.
Peter apparently had numerous health ailments leading up to this tragic event. Back in 2013, he got both his knees replaced. Then in January of 2015, he had to be hospitalized with a case of pneumonia. In July 2018, Peter hopped on his official Twitter account to reveal he just had another big surgery on his spinal cord to improve his mobility, and that he was recovering from it. So, may he definitely rest in peace.
According to a report on Variety.com, Peter’s family broke the news of his death on his official Twitter account today, May 2, 2019. The Twitter post features a photo of him in a split screen of his Chewbacca character.
The picture also features his birth date and his sad death date. They captioned it with the following words: “The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away. He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home.” You guys can view that post on Peter’s official Twitter account by Clicking Here.
Peter played the Chewbacca character in 1977 Star Wars,1980 The Empire Strikes Back, 1983 Return of the Jedi, 2005 Revenge of the Sith and 2015 The Force Awakens.
According to the Hollywood Reporter.com, some of Peter’s Star Wars buddies made some kind statements about him. George Lucas stated, “Peter was a wonderful man. He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature…and I learned to always let him win. He was a good friend and I’m saddened by his passing.”
Luke Skywalker star Mark Hamill tweeted out, “He was the gentlest of giants. A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly. I’m grateful for the memories we shared & I’m a better man for just having known him. Thanks Pete.” You guys can view that tweet on Mark’s official Twitter account by Clicking Here.
Han Solo star Harrison Ford stated of Peter, “Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character. These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca,” read Ford’s statement. “We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him.
He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience. Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together. He knew how important the fans of the franchise were to its continued success and he was devoted to them. I and millions of others will never forget Peter and what he gave us all. My thoughts are with his dear wife Angie and his children. Rest easy, my dear friend.”
The Hollywood reporter also pointed out that there’s going to be a private memorial for Peter Mayhew on Saturday, June 29, 2019. There will also be a gathering for fans at EmpireConLA in December 2019. Mayhew is survived by his wife, Angie, and three children.
Alright guys. That’s all we’ve got for this very sad “Star Wars, Peter Mayhew” report, but definitely stay tuned for more.
