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Late Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew honoured with 21 Wookie salute at Comic Con


Peter Mayhew honoured with 21 Wookie salute at Comic Con (Picture: Twitter/Team Coco)

Late Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew was honoured with a 21 Wookie salute at Comic Con on Friday.

Conan O’Brien organised the moment, which saw 21 cosplayers dressed as Chewbacca and other Wookie’s come out on stage to offer the poignant salute.

‘This year we lost a member of the Star Wars family. The great Peter Mayhew passed away,’ said Conan.

‘So tonight we’re going to do something to honour Peter’s memory. I thought it’d be fitting to give him the send-off he deserves. This is something that can only happen here at Comic-Con: a 21-Wookie salute.’

‘Wookies, begin your salute,’ Conan concluded.

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Mayhew, who was best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, died aged 74.

The actor, who stood at an impressive 7ft1in, passed away on the evening of 30 April at his Texas home, his family confirmed in a statement.

Along with dedicated fans, Star Wars cast members, producers and directors, including J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, led a ‘universe in mourning’ for a ‘kind and gentle’ friend of the franchise.

Peter Mayhew, best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, died aged 74 (Picture: WireImage)

An official announcement about Mayhew’s death said: ‘The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away.

‘He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home.’

Mayhew starred as Chewbacca in five films (Picture: Rex)

Mayhew gave life to the character back in 1977, when he appeared in Star Wars: A New Hope.

He went on to become a beloved character in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return Of The Jedi (1983), Revenge Of The Sith (2005) and The Force Awakens (2015).

The actor was replaced by Joonas Suotamo for later entries The Last Jedi (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and the forthcoming The Rise Of Skywalker.

They secretly shared the role in The Force Awakens for the more active scenes and in a tribute, Mayhew’s successor Suotamo expressed just how ‘kind’ a mentor he was for stepping into some big shoes.

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