Mark Hamill Posts Heartfelt Goodbye To ‘Star Wars’ Co-Star Peter Mayhew

Star Wars star Mark Hamill has shared a heartfelt goodbye to original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who passed away earlier this week.

Many Star Wars fans mourned Tuesday after the news that original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew has passed away. While the internet has been very vocal in the mourning of Mayhew’s death, many original Star Wars cast members have shared their own messages about the actor’s death. Han Solo actor Harrison Ford expressed his sadness while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, saying:

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

Recently, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill took to twitter to express his own thoughts on the passing of his co-star. You can see Mark Hamill’s post below.

It seems that Mark Hamill loved Peter as a dear friend and a great colleague. While Mayhew was not known for many films, both Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill have stressed that he was just as important to the Star Wars franchise as anyone else. While Mayhew eventually became too old for the role and was replaced by Joonas Suotamo, he played the character of Chewbacca for decades, from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope to The Force Awakens. While Mayhew will undoubtedly go down as a Hollywood legend, many people are still having trouble saying goodbye to a man who was so integral to one of the greatest film franchises of all time.

While Mayhew’s time with Chewbacca has ended, the character will appear in the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While not much is known about Chewbacca’s role in the movie, fans can expect the character and many more fan-favorites to return when it hits theaters later this year. Are you excited for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Which of Peter Mayhew’s performances is your favorite? Let us know down below!

Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia Organa through the use of previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 19, 2019.

Source: Twitter