Lupita Nyong'o Celebrates Star Wars Day by Honoring Peter Mayhew

May the 4th is widely known to people across the galaxy as Star Wars Day, and everyone from fans [...]

By Jamie Jirak

May the 4th is widely known to people across the galaxy as Star Wars Day, and everyone from fans to the movies' actors are celebrating with various social media posts. However, this year is bittersweet as the date occurs only two days after the news of Peter Mayhew's passing. The iconic actor was best known for portraying Chewbacca, and many fans and co-stars have used the opportunity of today's holiday to honor him. The latest in a long line of touching posts comes from Lupita Nyong'o, the Black Panther and Us star who also portrays Maz in the latest Star Wars trilogy.

"Dear World, #MayTheFourthBeWithYou. Paying respects to Peter Mayhew. His kindness and joy always illuminated our cherished Chewbacca. Thank you for sharing your light, Peter. Rest easy. Love, Lupita," she wrote.

As you can see, the actor also included adorable fan art of Maz and Chewie. Maz calls him her "boyfriend" in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and proclaims, "I like that Wookiee." You can follow the artist, @koyotespider, on Twitter here.

Many fans were quick to comment on the post, joining in on celebrating Mayhew's legacy.

"Amazing. I am crying," @playmoadjprof replied.

"Reflects so much tenderness," @SamComedian added.

"This makes me so happy," @alexandrarubin wrote.

Mayhew portrayed the iconic character in the original Star Wars trilogy and returned to reprise the role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Due to Mayhew's limited mobility and recent health problems, Joonas Suotamo has taken on the role of Chewbacca in the subsequent Star Wars films, but Mayhew continued to serve as a consultant for the role he created.

A memorial service for friends and family of Mayhew is set to be held on June 29th, with a memorial for fans expected to occur in December at EmpireCon LA.

Nyong'o will be reprising her role of Maz in the upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The final installment of the Skywalker Saga is set to star a returning Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. New cast members include Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, and Keri Russell, and the returning veteran actors are Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams. According to director, J.J. Abrams, Leia will be featured in the film using unreleased footage of Carrie Fisher from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is expected to hit theatres on December 20th. May the 4th be with you!

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