Chewbacca star Peter Mayhew from ‘Star Wars’ dies at 74

Peter Mayhew, who became known to fans worldwide as the lovable Wookiee Chewbacca in the “Star Wars” galaxy of films, has died. He was 74. The actor died on Tuesday in his North Texas home with his family by his side. His official Twitter account shared the news on Thursday, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Mayhew had undergone spinal surgery in July in an effort to improve his mobility.

The London native played Chewbacca in “Star Wars” (1977), “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Return of the Jedi” (1983), “Revenge of the Sith” (2005) and “The Force Awakens” (2015). Mayhew had done some minor acting — he played a minotaur in the Ray Harryhausen fantasy “Sinbad” and the “Eye of the Tiger” (1977) — and was working as a hospital orderly when he tried out for the part of Chewbacca. He got the role based on his physique, as writer-director George Lucas was in desperate need of someone who would be able to play taller than Darth Vader. (IANS)

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