Peter Mayhew, actor who played Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' movies, dies | IOL Entertainment

Los Angeles - British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, has died at age 74, his family said on Thursday.

He retired from playing Chewbacca for health reasons, although his family recalled that for Mayhew's final turn as the heroic Wookiee in "The Force Awakens," he "fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall" once more as the woolly character in the 2015 film. "Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character," said Harrison Ford, who as Han Solo shared many scenes with Mayhew. "Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together.""A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly," Hamill wrote on Twitter.

Deprived of recognizable speech and with facial expressions limited by the Wookiee mask he wore, Mayhew relied on body language to portray the emotional range of a character who could be both fearsome and sensitive. Mayhew, who stood 7 feet, 4 inches tall, was discovered while working as a hospital orderly in London.

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