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Actor Peter Mayhew, who originated the role of Chewbacca, and continued to play him in most forms of Star Wars media until 2015’s  Star Wars: The Force Awakens  died on April 30, 2019.     According to a statement released Thursday on the actor's Twitter account, Mayhew passed away in his North Texas Home, surrounded by his loved ones.   London-born Mayhew began acting when he was scouted for the role of the Minotaur in  Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger  due to a producer spotting his unusually large feet in a newspaper article. Later that year Mayhew then went onto audition for his most iconic role, Chewbacca, where he became the body and soul of the bowcaster-wielding Wookie. The then-unknown actor got the role due to his towering 7’3” physique that allowed him to stand tall above even Darth Vader. Although Chewbacca’s voice was engineered by sound designer Ben Burtt, many attribute the character’s expressiveness to Mayhew’s exceptional skill at body language. May