May 19th marks an important day for Star Wars fans, not only because Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith were released on those dates in 1999 and 2005 respectively, but because it marks actor Peter Mayhew's birthday. While the actor's face might have been hidden underneath a Chewbacca costume, the actor's impressive stature made the Wookiee feel all that more real, as well as Mayhew helping define the creature's entire physicality, which Jonas Suotamo would go on to attempt to replicate in Solo: A Star Wars Story and in the sequel trilogy of films.
Sadly, Mayhew passed away on April 30, 2019, with the Star Wars fandom still missing not only his contributions to the saga on screen, but also the many encounters he shared with fans during his convention appearances.
Scroll down to see fans paying their respects to Mayhew on what would have been his 76th birthday.