DONATE

Friday, May 3, 2019

Actor Who Played Chewbacca in ‘Star Wars’ Films Dead at Age 74

I became an avid Sci-Fi fan in my early teens. Though my interests have broadened, I try to keep up. With that I discovered some sad news.

If the Wookiees of Kashyyyk have an afterlife, Chewie went there on April 30, 2019. Peter Mayhew, the actor who portrayed Chewbacca, passed away on April 30th.


JRH 5/3/19
Your generosity is always appreciated:

*******************
Actor Who Played Chewbacca in ‘Star Wars’ Films Dead at Age 74

By Kayla Kunkel
Published May 2, 2019 at 4:50pm
Modified May 2, 2019 at 4:57pm
Liftable - The Western Journal

Peter Mayhew, the iconic actor who played Chewbacca in the “Star Wars” films has died at age 74. The cause of death is still unknown.

“He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his in his North Texas home,” the family wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

He is survived by his wife Angie and three children.

Mayhew famously portrayed Chewbacca in the original trilogy and even “fought his way back” after being wheel-chair bound so that he could portray Chewy once again in the 2015 film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Actors Peter Mayhew and Harrison Ford arrive at St. Jude’s 30th anniversary screening of “The Empire Strikes Back” at Arclight Cinema on May 19, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

He later returned to the “Star Wars” set to act as a consultant for his successor.

“He put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca,” his family wrote. “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.”

In this Oct. 5, 1978 file photo, actors featured in the “Star Wars” movie, from left, Harrison Ford who played Han Solo, Anthony Daniels who played the robot C3P0, Carrie Fisher who played the princess, and Peter Mayhew who played the Wookie, Chewbacca, are shown during a break from the filming of a television special presentation in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

“But, to him, the Star Wars family meant so much more to him than a role in a film. The relationships that began then grew into the friends and family that he would love for decades to come.”

“Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill expressed his condolences on Twitter. “I’m a better man for just having known him,” he wrote.


As his fame grew, he realized that he could have a great impact in the world so he began partnering with organizations like 501st Legion, Wounded Warrior and Make-a-Wish.

He also established the Peter Mayhew Foundation that “devoted to the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering, and the financial toll brought on by life’s traumatic events.”

Peter Mayhew attends the European Premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at Leicester Square on December 16, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

A memorial service for friends and family will be held on June 29, 2019. A memorial for fans will also occur in early December at EmpireConLA.

In lieu of gifts and flowers, the family has requested that those who feel so moved, donate to the Peter Mayhew Foundation so that his passion for goodwill will be able to continue in his name. You can also send condolences via email to ryan@ReelAppearances.com.

Our prayers are with Mayhew’s family, friends, and fans as they grieve.
______________________
Kayla is a Staff Writer for Liftable, a section of The Western Journal. She has been writing stories about faith, entertainment, and women since 2018.

@KaylaKatWJ
Facebook

Liftable Homepage

About The Western Journal including Liftable


History

The Western Journal was originally founded in 2009 as WesternJournalism.com, a project of the Western Center for Journalism. At the time the site simply linked to other content producers and served as a hub for important current events in the political and media sphere. The site was established to provide an alternative for readers fed up with the overt politicization of establishment media outlets. Over time, the audience grew and writers and thinkers began submitting original pieces to be published in full.

In 2011, the marketing team created the Facebook page Western Journalism and began publishing political news and commentary from the site on the growing social network. It wasn’t until 2013, however, that Western Journalism hired its first full-time staff writer and branched into publishing only original content. During this time, the site grew rapidly, reaching several hundred thousand readers daily by the end of 2013.

The beginning of 2014 marked a strategic turning point for Western Journalism, as the staff began focusing heavily on their Facebook audience, experimenting with engaging titles, and analyzing results in real time. By May 2014, over four million unique visitors were reading Western Journalism each month.
In mid-2014, the director of marketing for the Western Center for Journalism, Patrick Brown, left to found Liftable Media Inc. and its first brand, the uplifting lifestyle site Liftable.com. Liftable Media’s founding mission is to be a positive influence on culture, rather than a negative influence. Patrick took what he’d learned in building social media optimized content on Western Journalism and by November five million unique visitors were reading Liftable.com each month.

Liftable Media still maintained close contact with the Western Journalism staff, and recognizing the overlap in audience and mission, offered to buy WesternJournalism.com. The offer was accepted and Liftable Media made its first acquisition, officially integrating WesternJournalism.com into Liftable Media on January 1st, 2015.

… READ THE REST

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)