Entertainment

The 'Star Wars' Cast's Tributes To Peter Mayhew Perfectly Honor The OG Wookie

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Peter Mayhew, he actor who originated the beloved role of the Wookiee Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise had died. Following his family's May 2 announcement on Twitter about his passing, members of the Star Wars cast reacted to Mayhew's death, sharing tributes to the actor on social media. Fans are also mourning the performer, who The New York Times reported died of a heart attack at his home in Texas at the age of 74 on April 30. And these messages from the cast and crew of Star Wars, including original co-stars Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, show how much Mayhew meant to the people he worked with.

The most well-known Wookiee in all the universe was first introduced to the world back in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, Lucas cast the then-hospital orderly as Han Solo's copilot due to his 7-foot-three height, since the filmmaker needed someone who was taller than Darth Vader body actor David Prowse. After A New Hope, Mayhew went on to play Chewbacca in the rest of the original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, one of the prequels, Revenge of the Sith, and the first film of the new trilogy, The Force Awakens. Mayhew's last performance as the Wookiee was in the 2015 film, with his family sharing in their statement, "He fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall and portray Chewbacca once more in Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The Star Wars website noted that the British-born actor was a consultant for The Clone Wars animated series and acted as a mentor to Joonas Suotamo, who has assumed the role of Chewbacca since The Force Awakens. And based on these tributes from the cast and crew who knew him, Mayhew's presence in real-life was just as toweringly warm as his character.

Harrison Ford

Chewbacca had to mourn his Millennium Falcon copilot and sidekick Han Solo in The Force Awakens, and now Ford is mourning his friend of 30 years in real life. The actor provided this statement to THR reporter, Ryan Parker.

Mark Hamill

The Luke Skywalker actor said on Twitter that he's a "better man" for knowing the "loyal friend" Mayhew.

Billie Lourd

Although her character Leia is still alive in the movies, Carrie Fisher died in 2016. So it was her daughter, and fellow Star Wars actor, Billie Lourd who recognized Mayhew's passing with some sweet throwback photos.

Joonas Suotamo

As Mayhew discussed with Entertainment Weekly back in 2015, Suotamo served as a double for him on The Force Awakens due to the original actor's ailing health. Suotamo officially took over the role in The Last Jedi, the prequel Solo, and the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker and noted in his statement how Mayhew's "warm welcome" helped make the "daunting task" of taking on this gigantic role easier.

Warwick Davis

Warwick Davis has played a number of roles throughout the entirety of the Star Wars franchise, and shared a photo of him with the "mighty" Mayhew.

Billy Dee Williams

The original Lando Calrissian himself said his "heart hurts" at hearing the news of the passing of his "dear friend."

George Lucas

The creator of Star Wars and the man responsible for creating Chewbacca also released a statement about Mayhew, via journalist Clayton Sandell, saying, "He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature ... and I learned to always let him win."

J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams helped to introduce Chewbacca to a new generation as the director of The Force Awakens. And although the filmmaker has only tweeted a handful of times, he used the social media platform to share a photo of a handwritten letter, in which he declared what Mayhew meant to him.

Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson took over from Abrams for The Last Jedi, and while Suotamo had assumed the role by then, the director still wanted to recognize Mayhew's "spirit."

Kathleen Kennedy

Current president of LucasFilm Kathleen Kennedy acknowledged that Mayhew's performance was "absolutely integral to the character's success, and to the Star Wars saga itself."

Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg's Star Wars career started with The Clone Wars, but he might be better known for playing Unkar Plutt in The Force Awakens. He tweeted the broken heart emoji along with a photo of him hugging Mayhew in all of Chewbacca's furry glory to share how he's feeling about this loss.

Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk, who played the droid K-2SO introduced in Rogue One, also took to Twitter to remember the one of a kind actor and his "vocal growly cry."

John Boyega

Another newer addition to the Star Wars universe, Finn actor John Boyega, had the opportunity to work with Mayhew on The Force Awakens. He wrote on Instagram, "The happiness you brought to my life through Chewbacca was always enough but to meet you and experience your amazing heart was even better."

From these tributes, it's clear that Mayhew made a positive impact throughout his nearly 40 years as Chewbacca, and he'll be missed by those who knew him as well as those who simply had the pleasure of watching him Wookiee roar onscreen.