3 May - The Force won't be as strong this Fourth of May as another actor from the "Star Wars" franchise's original cast has forever gone into a galaxy far, far away. Peter Mayhew, the man who brought the iconic character Chewbacca to life in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, has passed away at age 74. The late actor's family announced the sad news via a letter posted on his personal Twitter, which revealed that he passed away on the evening of 30 April in his North Texas home with his family by his side.