At a towering 7' 3," actor Peter Mayhew is best known for his role as Chewbacca, Han Solo's furry and loyal Wookiee co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. Mayhew played Chewie in Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He will return to reprise his role as Chewbacca for Episode III.

Before his gig as a 200-year-old Wookiee, Mayhew worked as a hospital attendant at the King's College Hospital in London. In 1976, Mayhew's unusual height soon caught the attention of film producer Charles Schneer who spotted him in a photo alongside a newspaper article about men with large feet. Schneer later cast him in the role of Minoton, working alongside the legendary special effects artist Ray Harryhausen, in the movie Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.

Following the original Star Wars trilogy, Mayhew lived quietly for 14 years in Northern England, only to be brought back into the spotlight after the release of the Special Edition. Mayhew soon found himself in high demand for his role as Chewbacca on the sci-fi convention circuit. In 1997, he donned the Wookiee suit again to receive the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award presented to him by fellow Star Wars actor, Carrie Fisher.

Mayhew currently lives in Texas with his wife and three daughters.