Peter Mayhew Dies

I'm very sorry to report that the great hospital porter Peter Mayhew has passed away. The enormous seven-foot-three-inch actor was the man inside Chewbacca, the giant "wookie" alien in the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith in the prequel trilogy and The Force Awakens from the new trilogy. He was also acted as an assistant to Joonas Viljami Suotamo, the actor who played Chewbacca in The Last Jedi. By then ill health meant he couldn't don the furry suit himself for that final epic. His co-stars Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, as well as the director George Lucas, are very sad at their loss and paid tribute to Mayhew, saying that he was as warm and loving as his character. When he was portering at Kings College Hospital in London they had no uniform in stock to cover his huge frame and he had to wear a special suit. A ward sister from Kings Tweeted: "Star Wars colleagues talk about sweet-nature of Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) who's just died. In 70's I was a ward sister at Kings College and remember the giant porter who was gentle and kind to our patients. I also recall wonderment on their faces as Peter arrived with a wheelchair!" Source: https://twitter.com/JennyDarnley/status/1124219985335848960. Other NHS veterans, as well as actors, have sent their respects. He wanted to be an actor, and appeared briefly in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, but thought that his career would be limited by his significant stature. How wrong he was! Peter Mayhew, On Eternal Nightshift. Rest in Peace, Brother Porter.