Peter Mayhew, the man who played Han Solo's Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, has died aged 74. The actor's family announced on social media that the English-American actor had died on April 30, surrounded by family in his North Texas home.
"Peter was the man behind the mask of Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, episode 3 of the prequels, and the New Trilogy.
"He fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall and portray Chewbacca once more in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
"He also consulted on The Last Jedi in an attempt to teach his successor.
"He put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca and it showed in every frame of the films, from his knock-kneed running, firing his bowcaster from the hip, his bright blue eyes, down to each subtle movement of his head and mouth."
A memorial service for family and friends will be held on June 29, with a memorial for fans set to take place in early December in Los Angeles.
The news is breaking so more info is slowly being added to the ABC article quoted above.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-...gP60vcBRD8z-xY