Chewbacca Actor Hopes To Walk Again After Op
Peter Mayhew, who played the hairy Wookie in four Star Wars films, is recovering after having a double knee replacement.
Thursday 12 September 2013 03:00, UK
The actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films has had double knee-replacement surgery after having to use a wheelchair for two years.
Peter Mayhew, who was born with a condition called gigantism and is 7ft 3in, is recovering in hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.
The British-born actor's wife Angie said the 69-year-old had the surgery on Monday and hopes to walk again.
She said he had also had a tendon-stretching procedure to stabilise his legs.
Star Wars director George Lucas is reported as saying that all Mayhew had to do to be cast in the role of Chewbacca was to stand up.
He starred in four Star Wars films - the original trilogy and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith.
But he did not provide the voice of the hairy Wookie - that was created by the films' sound designer who mixed together different animal growls.
Mayhew's medical issues will be the subject of an upcoming documentary called Standing In The Stars - The Peter Mayhew Story.
The Mayhews live in Boyd, about 20 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
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