Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in Star Wars for decades, died on April 30. He was 74 years old.According to a statement on Mayhew's Twitter account, Mayhew passed away in his home, surrounded by family. The actor reportedly died from a heart attack, according to ABC News.
Born in London in 1944, Mayhew made his cinematic debut as a minotaur in 1977's Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger after being seen in a newspaper article about people with unusually large feet.
Starting with 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope, Mayhew appeared as Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Force Awakens before stepping away from the role. Mayhew also worked as a consultant on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when Joonas Suotamo took over the Chewbacca role.
Although he had a few other roles in films like The Terror, almost all of Mayhew's on-screen work involved Chewbacca or reflected that iconic role in some capacity. While Mayhew didn't provide Chewie's howls, he developed the hero's unique way of moving after watching animals at a zoo.
In the statement announcing his death, Mayhew's family remembered his time as the iconic Wookiee.
"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."
Outside of his acting career, Mayhew formed the Peter Mayhew Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to "the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering, and the financial toll brought on by life's traumatic events."
While a private service for the actor will be held on June 29, a public memorial will take place in early Dec. at EmpireConLA, where his family will attend and his personal effects will be displayed. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family has asked the donations be made to the Peter Mayhew Foundation.
Mayhew is survived by his wife, Angie, and three children.