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RIP Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca in Star Wars)

  • 02-05-2019 11:42pm
    #1
    Slydice
    Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭


    Ah no :(
    The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away. He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home.

    https://twitter.com/TheWookieeRoars/status/1124077256240967681


Comments

  • #2
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    May the Force be with him :(


  • #3
    murpho999
    Registered Users Posts: 28,386 ✭✭✭✭murpho999


    I’ve got a bad feeling about this.


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    AhRrHHhRrHh i p


  • #5
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    So that's Leia, Chewbacca and R2-D2 gone!


  • #6
    Hego Damask
    Registered Users Posts: 842 ✭✭✭Hego Damask


    RIP, Just read about it on BBC news.


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  • #7
    AllForIt
    Registered Users Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    The Emperor is still alive

    he hehe hehe hehehehe


  • #8
    Relikk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭Relikk


    :(

    R.I.P.


  • #9
    Heckler
    Registered Users Posts: 3,322 ✭✭✭Heckler


    RIP

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYKNlt-cOVs


  • #10
    Mr Crispy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Mr Crispy


    https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/1124093358798929920

    A lovely, generous man by all accounts, and played a huge role in my childhood.


  • #11
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    Darch Nemesis wrote: »
    https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/1124093358798929920

    A lovely, generous man by all accounts, and played a huge role in my childhood.

    no pun intended?


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  • #12
    Mr Crispy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Mr Crispy


    branie2 wrote: »
    no pun intended?

    Heh, literally and figuratively.


  • #13
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,667 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Nice letter paying tribute to him from Harrison Ford:
    Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character. These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca. We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him. He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience. Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together. He knew how important the fans of the franchise were to its continued success and he was devoted to them. I and millions of others will never forget Peter and what he gave us all. My thoughts are with his dear wife Angie and his children. Rest easy, my dear friend….

    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/harrison-ford-remembers-star-wars-star-peter-mayhew-i-loved-him-1207164


  • #14
    mikhail
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    He had a very good reputation among Star Wars fans for being a real pleasure to meet and very generous with his time with the fans.


  • #15
    Oasis1974
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭Oasis1974


    Couldnt call him an actor in the real sense. Just wore a costume and made a funny sound. Weird he never had any other movie roles outside of the costume?


  • #16
    AMKC
    Registered Users Posts: 15,504 ✭✭✭✭AMKC
    Ms


    RIP Peter Mayhew aka Chewbacca.

    I don't think anyone else would have been able to do Chewbacca like he did or as good as he did.

    Live long and Prosper

    Peace and long life.



  • #17
    valoren
    Registered Users Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭valoren


    Oasis1974 wrote: »
    Couldnt call him an actor in the real sense. Just wore a costume and made a funny sound. Weird he never had any other movie roles outside of the costume?

    Pretty difficult to secure roles in rom coms et al when you're 7 foot 3 inches tall I suppose :pac:


  • #18
    RMAOK
    Registered Users Posts: 11,196 ✭✭✭✭RMAOK


    RIP


  • #19
    brevity
    Registered Users Posts: 8,459 ✭✭✭brevity


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    Nice letter paying tribute to him from Harrison Ford:



    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/harrison-ford-remembers-star-wars-star-peter-mayhew-i-loved-him-1207164

    https://twitter.com/TheWookieeRoars/status/1124160300264099840?s=20


  • #20
    The White Wolf
    Registered Users Posts: 5,123 ✭✭✭The White Wolf


    RIP

    I was always curious about this but never looked into it; how much of Chewbacca was Mayhew's?


  • #21
    Oasis1974
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭Oasis1974


    The White Wolf wrote: »
    RIP

    I was always curious about this but never looked into it; how much of Chewbacca was Mayhew's?

    As in character acting probably zero I mean could hardly see the guy learning his lines. Also RIP to the guy forgot to say it earlier.


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  • #22
    brevity
    Registered Users Posts: 8,459 ✭✭✭brevity


    I would say it’s a role that looks easy to play but if you tried to do it you might find out that it’s more difficult than you first thought.


  • #23
    The White Wolf
    Registered Users Posts: 5,123 ✭✭✭The White Wolf


    brevity wrote: »
    I would say it’s a role that looks easy to play but if you tried to do it you might find out that it’s more difficult than you first thought.

    Yeah like I mean Chewbacca facially was quite expressive. That's what I'm getting at; was that Mayhew or just puppetry?


  • #24
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,667 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Mayhew's body movements were quite distinctive and he brought a lot of character to the role. Chewie was best in TESB where Kershner really worked with Mayhew. The other directors often just had Chewie standing around or seemed to forget about him. The moment of him walking past a grieving Leia at the end of TFA is a good example of this.


  • #25
    Mr Crispy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Mr Crispy


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    The moment of him walking past a grieving Leia at the end of TFA is a good example of this.

    I absolutely hated that.


  • #26
    check_six
    Registered Users Posts: 2,245 ✭✭✭check_six


    The White Wolf wrote: »
    RIP

    I was always curious about this but never looked into it; how much of Chewbacca was Mayhew's?
    brevity wrote: »
    I would say it’s a role that looks easy to play but if you tried to do it you might find out that it’s more difficult than you first thought.

    There are clips of the original movies with the sound from the set. You'll be very surprised to hear that Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca speaks his lines in clear english. The wookie growls were dubbed in afterwards and the lines in english made it easier for Ford to react accurately to what Chewie was supposed to be saying.
    Also, as has been pointed out, the body language element to the role should not be underestimated as we as viewers know what is going on in his mind without being able to understand the growls.

    Also worth tracking down the footage of David Prowse delivering Vader's lines on set. Prowse had a very strong rural accent (think of something along the lines of the "I've got a brand new combine harvester" song) and it's easy to see how the other cast members were sceptical that the Vader character could be taken seriously.


  • #27
    homerun_homer
    Registered Users Posts: 7,024 ✭✭✭homerun_homer


    Oasis1974 wrote: »
    Couldnt call him an actor in the real sense. Just wore a costume and made a funny sound.
    brevity wrote: »
    I would say it’s a role that looks easy to play but if you tried to do it you might find out that it’s more difficult than you first thought.

    Well I have said it many a time, but Mayhew really makes a difference in playing Chewie, because I think the new guy playing Chewie is rubbish. Playing him isn't a case of just requiring a tall person. Mayhew really imbued character into how he moved, and "spoke" in the suit that you just believe in Chewie, and don't just think of him as a man in a suit.


  • #28
    buser2x
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭buser2x


    who doesn't love chewbacca


  • #29
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,556 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    buser2x wrote: »
    who doesn't love chewbacca
    The organisers of the awards ceremony at the end of Ep IV.


  • #30
    mikhail
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Dades wrote: »
    The organisers of the awards ceremony at the end of Ep IV.
    Leia at the end of Ep VII.


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