"Star Wars" fans in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, were treated to an extra-special treat this past weekend if they attended a Friday or Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon screening of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" at certain Studio Movie Grill locations throughout the Metroplex. Peter Mayhew, the actor who portrayed Chewbacca in four out of the six movies in George Lucas's epic space saga, appeared to greet fans, sign autographs, and kick off a weekend of intergalactic fun for all ages.
The 7' 3" tall Mayhew sat at a booth in the lobby of the different Studio Movie Grills adorned by a colorful banner reading "Chewbacca of Star Wars-Peter Mayhew Signing Autographs Here!" and featuring a picture of the Wookie from Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Spread out across the tables were at least a dozen different photos the hundreds of fans could choose from to have the actor sign. He would stop to have his photo taken with fans old and young alike upon request.
Members of the Star Garrison and the Florida Garrison of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion accompanied Mayhew at the appearances. The 501st is an international organization whose members make up different garrisons in their regional areas. The organization has become so famous they've been featured in "The Clone Wars." The troops stood at attention, holding their blasters as fans walked into the lobby and lined up for autographs. Several children and adults stopped to take photos with them and, strangely enough, they were more than happy to oblige.
Mayhew now lives near Dallas when he's not touring and making appearances at different conventions and "Star Wars" events worldwide. The actor usually shows up at events wearing a shirt featuring Chewbacca and utilizing his lightsaber walking cane. He might not have all the fur you would expect, but you can definitely tell he played the character under the mask and makeup by looking into his eyes. They match the same ones that stared out of movie screens around the world and showed emotion as Han Solo's sidekick.
Mayhew portrayed the Wookiee in "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi," and "The Star Wars Holiday Special." He returned to the role in 2005 for "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" and again in 2011 to add vocal effects and consult for the character on "The Clone Wars."
Mayhew was living in London and working at King's College Hospital as an orderly when he got his big acting break. After being seen in a newspaper article about men with unusually large feet, he was given the role of the Minotaur in Ray Harryhausen's "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger." George Lucas cast him in the part of Chewbacca after bodybuilder Dave Prowse decided to take the role of Darth Vader. As they say, the rest is history.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
The Force Is With 'Star Wars: Episode I 3D'
'The Clone Wars' Voice Actress Reflects on 'Episode I' Legacy
Rare 'Star Wars: Episode I Blu-Ray Pack' Action Figures a Must -- Again
Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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