This wasn't what we wanted to be talking about on Star Wars Day.
Star Wars fans are mourning the loss of the actor behind one of the most beloved characters of the series. Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew died Tuesday at the age of 74.
Mayhew was more than seven feet tall. He had no acting experience before taking the role, but he was in nearly every Star Wars movie up to The Force Awakens in 2015. Mayhew's family says he passed away on April 30th at his home in North Texas. In a statement, they said Mayhew put his heart and soul into playing the role of the tall, furry Wookie co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon.
Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill calls Mayhew "the gentlest of giants."