Yesterday evening, we learned that Peter Mayhew, the actor behind the one and only Chewbacca, passed away a few days before on April 30th at the age of 76. Naturally, in the hours that followed, some of his Star Wars co-stars had to pay tribute to the man. Here are a few of them.
Harrison Ford wrote this statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
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. 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.
From Mark Hamill:
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 #RIPPeterMayhew #Heartbroken @TheWookieeRoars pic.twitter.com/8xbq9HEWF2
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) May 2, 2019
From Billy Dee Williams:
Much more than Chewie to me…My heart hurts…I will miss you my dear friend…thanks for the great memories! #RIPPeterMayhew #StarWars pic.twitter.com/0DfCo59zpG
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) May 3, 2019
From John Boyega:
From Daisy Ridley:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw-yPBcg4sm/
From Joonas Suotamo (The new Chewbacca):
From Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd:
And from George Lucas, via THR as well:
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.
[Via Nerdist]