Peter Mayhew was born on 19 May 1944, in Barnes, South West London, England. He is an actor, best known for his appearances in the “Star Wars” movies as the tall Wookie, Chewbacca. He’s also made appearances in other films and television series, but his popularity as (largely unseen) Chewbacca and the money he gets playing the role have helped put his net worth where it is today.
How rich is Peter Mayhew? As of early-2016, sources inform us of his net worth is at $500,000, mostly acquired through the various periods of time where he is needed to portray Chewbacca. Aside from being on screen, Peter has also released a few books that are focused on a younger audience.
Peter Mayhew Net Worth $500,000
Peter has Marfan syndrome, a disorder involving the connecting tissue which results in longer limbs, which made him very tall, to a height of 7 feet and 3 inches(215cm). He got his first acting job in the film “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger”(1976), when he was noticed by the film director from a photograph in a newspaper article detailing men with large feet, and Mayhew was cast as the mythical Minotaur. In the casting for the first “Star Wars” film, George Lucas had intended bodybuilder David Prowse for the role but David opted to play Darth Vader instead. This led to Lucas discovering Mayhew working as an orderly at Mayday Hospital; since then Peter has appeared in several “Star Wars” films including the original trilogy, “Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”, and the most recent “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. His net worth rose steadily.
Peter continued to play Chewbacca outside of these films, appearing in “Star Wars Holiday Special” and “The Muppet Show” as the famous hairy character. Mayhew even wore the costume for personal appearances, going to hospitals and visiting sick children as the character. He was honored by the 1997 MTV Film Awards for his role and was also honored by Playstation Portable during the release of the PSP Slim, where he wore the Chewbacca costume.
Outside of the costume, he has made appearances as himself on NBC’s “Identity” and “Slice of SciFi”. He even appeared in the 1978 horror film entitled “Terror”. He did some voice recording work for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3” and “Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy” – his net worth certainly benefited.
Peter has written two books, mainly focused on younger audiences – “Growing Up Giant” which tells of how being different is a strength, and “My Favorite Giant” which tackles anti-bullying.
For his personal life, Peter Mahew married Angie Luker in 1999, and they now reside in Boyd, Texas. He became a naturalized citizen during 2005 in a ceremony at Arlington, Texas, later joking about it in an interview telling how he didn’t get a medal, much like Chewbacca. He had double knee replacement surgery in 2013 and at the same year was crowned “Emperor of Life” by the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus. He also had a bout with pneumonia and was hospitalized in early 2015.
