Born on May 19, 1944, in Barnes, London, he was a British-American actor best known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise. His towering height of 7 feet 3 inches was due to Marfan syndrome, which contributed to his casting as the iconic Wookiee. He first portrayed Chewbacca in the original 1977 film and continued in the role through various sequels and projects until 2015. Beyond Star Wars, he was known for his charitable work. He passed away on April 30, 2019, in Texas.