LOS ANGELES ¨C British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the ¡°Star Wars¡± movies, has died at age 74, his family said.
Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the ¡°Star Wars¡± films ¡ª his entire body was always clothed in his Wookiee costume ¡ª died at his north Texas home on Tuesday, according to the family¡¯s statement on Twitter Thursday. No cause of death was given.
The lanky performer made his first appearance as the beloved, bleating Chewbacca character in the landmark 1977 sci-fi fantasy thriller ¡°Star Wars,¡± and went on to co-star in four more films in the blockbuster series ¡ª ¡°The Empire Strikes Back,¡± ¡°Return of the Jedi,¡± ¡°Revenge of the Sith¡± and ¡°The Force Awakens.¡±
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