I was born in 1978. I have never known a world without Peter Mayhew. Until now. I have never met the man. I know very little about him personally. What I do know is the joy he brought me throughout my life via his portrayal of the beloved Star Wars character Chewbacca.
I read an essay once about a writer taking her young daughter to an art exhibit and the little girl asking, “Who made this? I have to talk to her.” The author was pleased her daughter had made the connection between magic in the art and magic in the artist. And so one must assume that Mayhew had a spark of magic, playfulness, joy, and creativity to be able to embody Han Solo’s furry buddy.
Some actors try to distance themselves from their most popular role (*ahem* Shatner), but from all the pictures I’ve seen on social media in the past day or so, Peter Mayhew truly enjoyed and embraced his association with/as the world’s most famous wookie. As Luke reminds us in the trailer for episode IX, “No one’s ever really gone.” We will always have Mayhew’s iconic performances to remember him by.
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
Yet it’s hard not to feel like the universe is a little less magic now.
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Wicked, Gladiator II and coming soon Mufasa: The Lion King, Nosferatu, A Complete Unknown and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply