Peter Mayhew: Chewbacca actor remembered as ‘gentlest of giants’ as tributes pour in following Star Wars actor’s death

Star Wars actors past and present have reached out to pay tribute to Chewbacca star Peter Mayhew, hailing him the “gentlest of giants”.

Mayhew died, aged 74, surrounded by loved ones on April 30 at his home in Texas.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the epic sci-fi franchise, was among the first to pay tribute in the wake of the news on Friday morning, describing him as a “big man with an even bigger heart”.

Tweeting a collage of pictures, he wrote: “He was the gentlest of giants-A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly-I'm grateful for the memories we shared & I'm a better man for just having known him. Thanks Pete #RIPPeterMayhew #Heartbroken @TheWookieeRoars.”

Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo alongside Mayhew as his Wookiee warrior and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, released a statement, telling fans: “I loved him.”

He wrote: “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.”

Star Wars creator and Lucasfilm founder George Lucas described him as a “wonderful man. He said: “He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature … and I learned to always let him win. He was a good friend and I’m saddened by his passing.”

Mayhew, who was born in London in 1944, played the loveable Wookie from the original 1977 Star Wars film through to 2015’s The Force Awakens. He was hired thanks to his 7ft 2in height.

He retired due to ill health ahead of The Last Jedi and was replaced by Finnish actor Joonas Suotamo who shared a black and white picture of the pair alongside the word: “RIP.”