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Peter Mayhew

Acting Born May 19, 1944 Barnes, London, England, UK 24 credits

Biography

Peter Mayhew (May 19, 1944 – April 30, 2019) was a British-American actor, best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films.

Mayhew was born on 19 May 1944 in Barnes, Surrey, where he was also raised. His height was a product not of gigantism — "I don't have the big head" — but of an overactive pituitary gland secondary to a genetic disease called Marfan Syndrome. The overactive pituitary gland was treated successfully in his mid-teens. His peak height was 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m)

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Full filmography

  • Glee (2009) as Chewbacca
  • Star Wars (1977) as Chewbacca
  • The Muppet Show (1976) as Chewbacca
  • The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as Chewbacca
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as Chewbacca
  • Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) as Chewbacca
  • Return of the Jedi (1983) as Chewbacca
  • Comic Book Men (2012) as Self
  • The Kenny Everett Television Show (1982) as Various
  • Fanboys (2009) as Self (uncredited)
  • Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) as Minoton
  • The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) as Chewbacca
  • The Making of Star Wars (1977) as Self (uncredited)
  • Dark Towers (1981)
  • Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004) as Self
  • Comic Book: The Movie (2004) as Peter Mayhew
  • The Story of Star Wars (2004) as Chewbacca (archive footage)
  • Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey (2016) as Self
  • Comic Book Villains (2002) as Peter Mayhew
  • Terror (1979) as The Mechanic
  • Jedi Junkies (2010) as Self
  • SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as Self
  • The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as Self
  • When Star Wars Ruled the World (2004) as Self