Actor who played 'Chewbacca' in Star Wars dies – family

Peter Mayhew, the actor who played the character "Chewbacca" in the original Star Wars film trilogy, passed away on Wednesday "with his family by his side."

He was 74-years-old and died at his North Texas home.

Mayhew, who was 7 ft 2 inches tall, reprised his role as Chewbacca in 2005’s “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” and “Revenge of the Sith” after more than 20 years out of the spotlight, despite having been confined to a wheelchair as a result of his Marfan syndrome, finally passing the character on to Finnish actor Joonas Suotamo for the final film (but continuing to consult with the filmmakers).

The character remains one of the most recognizable parts of the Star Wars franchise, which debuted in 1977 with “Star Wars” and was followed by “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

Mayhew leaves behind a wife and three children.

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