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The Net Worth of Peter Mayhew
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$500,000
Peter Mayhew: A Brief Biography
Peter Mayhew was born on 19 May 1944, in Barnes, South West London, England. He is primarily recognized for his role as the Wookie Chewbacca in the “Star Wars” movies. His net worth stands at $500,000, mainly earned from his portrayal of Chewbacca. Apart from his on-screen appearances, Mayhew has also authored books for a younger audience.
Peter Mayhew: Net Worth $500,000
Due to Marfan syndrome, a disorder resulting in longer limbs, Mayhew stands at a height of 7 feet and 3 inches. He began his acting career in the film “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” (1976). It was during the casting of the first “Star Wars” film that director George Lucas noticed Mayhew and decided to cast him as Chewbacca. Since then, Mayhew has appeared in several “Star Wars” films, contributing to the steady rise of his net worth.
Besides his film roles, Mayhew has also played Chewbacca in specials such as “Star Wars Holiday Special” and “The Muppet Show”, and has donned the costume for personal appearances, including visits to hospitals to entertain sick children. He has also made appearances as himself on various television shows and even ventured into voice recording work for related projects, all adding to his net worth.
Mayhew has authored two books targeting a younger audience – “Growing Up Giant” and “My Favorite Giant”. He is married to Angie Luker and became a naturalized United States citizen in 2005. Despite health challenges, Mayhew has continued to be involved in his work and was honored for his contributions to the “Star Wars” franchise.
- Structural Info
- Trademarks
- Quotes
- Facts
- Pictures
- Filmography
| Full Name | Peter Mayhew |
| Net Worth | $500,000 |
| Date Of Birth | 19 May 1944 |
| Place Of Birth | Barnes, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
| Height | 2.18 m |
| Profession | Actor |
| Nationality | British, American |
| Spouse | Angie Mayhew (m. 1999) |
| Children | Katy Mayhew |
| Facebook |
| Twitter |
| IMDB |
| Movies | Star Wars, Star Wars Holiday Special, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Ewok, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Yesterday Was a Lie, Killer Ink, Star Wars: The Force Awakens |
| TV Shows | “Star Wars Holiday Special”, “The Muppet Show” |
| # | Trademark |
|---|
| 1 | Towering height and slender frame |
| 2 | Chewbacca from the Star Wars films |
| # | Quote |
|---|
| 1 | When I go to restaurants I can never get my legs under a table. I bump my head in planes. People who sit behind me in the theater hate me. But I have given up apologizing to the world. |
| 2 | It’s curious that when you look down at people you see their defects, their irregularities more clearly. I like my bird’s-eye view. I think it’s what gives Chewie his pride, his bigness. Bigness of heart. |
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | When Disney bought the rights to Star Wars From George Lucas, they decided to scrap the expanded universe, in which Chewbacca was killed in the first novel “Vector Prime” of the new Jedi order. |
| 2 | In 2013, he was forced to undergo double knee replacement surgery as a result of gigantism. |
| 3 | (May 7-8, 2005) Attended the Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention in Malmõ, Sweden. |
| 4 | Attended OmegaCon in Birmingham, Alabama. [March 2008] |
| 5 | (November 14-16, 2008) Attended the Big Apple Comic Con. |
| 6 | Currently resides in the town of Boyd, Texas and is a business owner. [April 2013] |
| 7 | Became a naturalized United States citizen, along with 441 other people from 77 countries, in Arlington, Texas on October 17, 2005. |
| 8 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) premiered on his 55th and 61st birthdays respectively. He appeared in the latter but not the former. |
| 9 | Had the option of either playing Darth Vader or Chewbacca, as did David Prowse. Mayhew chose Chewbacca because he wanted to play a hero, whilst Prowse chose Darth Vader because he wanted to play a villain. |
| 10 | Fell sick during the filming of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which prompted director Irvin Kershner to bring in another extremely tall actor to fill in for him as Chewbacca. All the footage with the double was scrapped and reshot after Mayhew recovered because Irvin Kershner found that the double’s body movements did not match Mayhew’s. |
| 11 | After getting the role of Chewbacca, Mayhew went to the zoo and began studying the movements and mannerisms of various large animals to incorporate into the character Chewbacca. |
| 12 | Mayhew, like many actors connected with the Star Wars universe, makes frequent appearances at sci-fi conventions. Although famous guests at these events normally make a charge for autographs, some actors connected with famous movies from the past make their living touring different conventions. |
| 13 | Chewbacca won a Lifetime Achievement award at the MTV Movie Awards. |
| 14 | Prior to starring as Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, he was an orderly at London’s King’s College Hospital. |
All pictures
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Late Show with David Letterman | 2005 | TV Series | Chewbacca / Top Ten List Presenter |
| Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | Chewbacca |
| Comic Book: The Movie | 2004 | Video | Peter Mayhew |
| Comic Book Villains | 2002 | Video | Peter Mayhew |
| Doragon bôru GT: Gokû gaiden! Yûki no akashi wa sû-shin-chû | 1997 | TV Movie | Susha (English version, voice) |
| Comic Book Kid | 1993 | Peter Mayhew |
| Star Tours | 1987 | Short | Chewbacca (uncredited) |
| The Kenny Everett Television Show | 1985 | TV Series | Various |
| Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | 1983 | Chewbacca |
| Return of the Ewok | 1982 | Video short | Chewbacca |
| Dark Towers | 1981 | TV Series | The Tall Knight |
| Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | Chewbacca |
| The Muppet Show | 1980 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Hazell | 1979 | TV Series | Giant |
| The Star Wars Holiday Special | 1978 | TV Movie | Chewbacca |
| Terror | 1978 | The Mechanic |
| Donny and Marie | 1977 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger | 1977 | Minoton (uncredited) |
| Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope | 1977 | Chewbacca |
| Star Wars: Episode VIII | 2017 | post-production | Chewbacca |
| Killer Ink | 2016 | Uncle Clyde |
| Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens | 2015 | Chewbacca |
| Star Wars: Battlefront | 2015 | Video Game | Chewbacca |
| Breaking In | 2012 | TV Series | Peter Mayhew |
| Glee | 2011 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 2011 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Fanboys | 2009 | Peter Mayhew (uncredited) |
| Yesterday Was a Lie | 2008 | Dead Man |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 2011 | TV Series special thanks – 1 episode |
| The Characters of ‘Star Wars’ | 2004 | Video documentary short special thanks |
| Empire of Dreams: The Story of the ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy | 2004 | Video documentary acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| The Jedi Hunter | 2002 | Short special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Standing in the Stars: The Peter Mayhew Story | 2016 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| The Drunken Peasants | 2015-2016 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Star Wars at the BBC | 2015 | TV Short documentary | Chewbacca (uncredited) |
| TMZ on TV | 2014 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| Edición Especial Coleccionista | 2014 | TV Series | Chewbacca |
| 20 to 1 | 2010 | TV Series documentary | Chewbacca |
