Suotamo, 32, began in the role as a body double during “The Force Awakens.” In 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” Suotamo took on the role full-time and appeared again as one of the most iconic sidekicks in movie history in 2018’s “Star Wars” spinoff “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”. He is best known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars saga, taking over the role from Peter Mayhew, first as a body double, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and later as the lead in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). [7], Finnish basketball player and actor (born 1986), "Suotamo To Graduate Early; Forgo Final Year With Nittany Lion Basketball Program", "Joonas Suotamo: Chewbacca's double in 'The Force Awakens, "JJ Abrams On The New Chewbacca, Episode 8 And That Daniel Craig Cameo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joonas_Suotamo&oldid=985280029, Finnish expatriate basketball people in the United States, Penn State Nittany Lions basketball players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages which use embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 October 2020, at 01:43. Michigan School Teachers Admit to Making Adult Movies on the Side. Peter Mayhew, Actor: Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Box Office, 'Star Wars' Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb, 10 Questions We Want Answered in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', What You Missed at the 'Star Wars' 40th Anniversary Panel at Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back 1980 (UK) premiere, 92nd Academy Awards In Memoriam predictions, Best 'Star Wars' Franchise Resistance Fighter.

Mayhew retired from acting in 2017 due to chronic knee and back pain. Scotty's Failed Attempt at Hijacking the Show - Paul Wants to Eat Weck - And More! Check out our picks for movies that (hopefully) won't keep you up at night. In an interview with EW shortly before his last go-round as Chewbacca in that film, Mayhew discussed handing off the role to the now-32-year-old … Looking for something to watch? He was a strong academic performer at Penn State, where he was twice named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, and graduated in 3½ years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in December 2008 in order to fulfill his Finnish conscription service and to pursue a career in film. Peter Mayhew was born on May 19, 1944 in Barnes, London, England, to Constance Elizabeth (Yeates) and Walter Henry Mayhew. Peter’s warm welcome when I came aboard as his double in The Force Awakens meant so much to me.

The GOP Schism - Moron Talks About White Privilege - Wild Bill on Rectums, Vegan Gains Joins Us - Prank Calls to Caiden Cowger - Opening Fan Mail. I bet 2000's kids will be most nostalgic about... Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope - Deleted Scenes, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: Deleted Scenes, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy, Standing in the Stars: The Peter Mayhew Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - World Premiere, The Scavenger & the Stormtrooper: A Conversation with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey, "Star Wars" Cast Members Do "Star Wars" Impersonations, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to George Lucas, SP FX: Special Effects - The Empire Strikes Back, Remembering Peter Mayhew and Valerie Harper. A New Chapter: The Story of 'The Force Unleashed', Von Muppets und Menschen: Blick hinter die Kulissen der 'Muppets-Show', What to Watch if You Miss the "Game of Thrones" Cast. Joonas Viljami Suotamo is a Finnish actor and former professional basketball player. “He was an absolutely one-of-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivaled class and I will miss him. Later resident in Texas, this former resident of Yorkshire, England, was working as a hospital attendant at the King's College Hospital in London when film producer Charles H. Schneer saw his photo, literally standing above ... Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels to Reprise ‘Star Wars’ Roles for Disney Plus Lego Holiday Special, ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ Getting Lego Treatment on Disney Plus, Mark Hamill Says Goodbye to Star Wars with Touching Skywalker Saga Farewell Letter, Top 50 Highest Grossing Actors at the U.S. As a youth, he performed roles as a stage actor. Mayhew stood at 7-foot-3 at his peak height while Suotamo is listed as being 6-foot-10 on his Penn State profile. With childhood interests in music, arts, and movies he studied film and video at PSU. [2], Suotamo played seven seasons in Finland's basketball leagues, including four seasons in the top-tier Korisliiga. Suotamo was born in Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland. Joonas Viljami Suotamo ([ˈjoː.nɑs ˈsuo̯.tɑ.mo]; born October 3, 1986) is a Finnish American actor and former professional basketball player. Suotamo has a son named Aatos who was born c. Peter Mayhew was born on May 19, 1944 in Barnes, London, England, to Constance Elizabeth (Yeates) and Walter Henry Mayhew. Suotamo is smaller in height to Mayhew.

Joonas Suotamo shared the role of Chewbacca with Peter Mayhew since 2015's "The Force Awakens." Powered by.

Looking for a slightly scary movie to watch this Halloween? Upon hearing of the death of Mayhew, Suotamo wrote on Twitter, “Devastated to hear about the passing of a dear friend and mentor, the great Peter Mayhew. Suotamo attended Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and played the power forward and centre positions for the Penn State Nittany Lions. [3][4] He has also had a career selling insurance. Suotamo and Chewbacca attend the screening of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 15, 2018 in Cannes, France. Suotamo played as a center for Penn State between 2005 and 2008. Joonas Suotamo shared the role of Chewbacca with Peter Mayhew since 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” Mayhew retired from acting in 2017 due to chronic knee and back pain. On May 2, the sad news broke that Mayhew, 74, had died following a heart attack in his home in Boyd, Texas. He is best known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars saga, taking over the role from Peter Mayhew, first as a body double, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and later as the lead in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He then reprised his role as Chewbacca in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)[6] and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Suotamo is mostly known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise, a role in which he started out being a body double for the original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as Mayhew's age and worsening health was making it more difficult for him to fill the role (Mayhew would later pass away on April 30, 2019). Rest in Peace My Friend.”, On his Twitter bio, Suotamo writes, “Man behind the mask of CHEWBACCA, always remembering the legendary Peter Mayhew.”, READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Making Adult Movies on the Side, Copyright © 2020 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Sarah Palin Defends Ben Carson - Trump Vs Hillary - And More! Choose an adventure below and discover your next favorite movie or TV show. Getty 2018. As the entire Star Wars universe grieves over this terrible loss my thoughts and prayers are with his wife Angie and his family and all of the fans whose lives he has impacted. “Rest assured his legacy will live on and the spirit that he gave the character when he first donned the suit will never be forgotten. [5], Suotamo played three games for the Finnish national basketball team and 66 games for the junior national teams.[3]. [1], He left the army having risen to the rank of second lieutenant (res). Studying the character he helped create was always a daunting task, but one that was made easier by his tutelage and kindness as we sought to bring Chewbacca to life for a new generation. Joonas Suotamo shared the role of Chewbacca with Peter Mayhew since 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” Mayhew retired from acting in 2017 due to chronic knee and back pain. He went on to entirely replace Mayhew in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Chewbacca, with Mayhew as a consultant. Suotamo is a native of Espoo in Uusimaa, Finland, and before turning to acting, he was a professional basketball player and insurance salesman.

Suotamo played for a range of teams in his homeland as well as the Finnish national team.