Star Wars’ Chewbacca Actor Peter Mayhew Hospitalized

Published on January 20, 2015.

(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

70-year old Star Wars’ star Peter Mayhew has been hospitalized for pneumonia and was forced to cancel an appearance at a comic shop in Texas.

Mayhew has played the fan favorite Chewbacca since the franchise’s first film Star Wars Episode IV- A New Hope in 1977 and almost forty years later Mayhew is reprising the role for the franchise’s newest film Star Wars Episode VII- The Force Awakens.

While the hospitalization is scary for both fans, friends and family, Mayhew’s wife posted to Reddit reassuring everyone he was going to be alright.

“He will make a full recovery, and hope to be discharged within a few days. Doctors are incredibly happy with his improvements.”

Standing at 7’3″, Mayhew has been the perfect choice for the 200-year old Wookie, Chewbacca and was honored as Chewbacca with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Film Awards 1997.

Mayhew’s incredible height is due to an overactive pituitary gland and was discovered when working as a hospital attendant and a photo was taken showing him towering above the people around him, catching the eye of film producer Charles H. Schneer.

Mayhew will be joining a large group of other Star Wars original cast members including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher for Episode VII which is set to be released December 18, 2015.

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