At seven feet four inches tall, it goes without saying that Peter Mayhew is a big man. Fortunately, he has a heart just as big. Not only is Peter one of the nicest Star Wars celebrities I have met but he’s always ready and willing to share his fondest memories with the fans over and over again. Peter first worked as a hospital attendant at the King’s College Hospital in London when film producer Charles Schneer cast him in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. One year later, he became Chewbacca and entered the world of popular culture. Though he has not done much acting since the Star Wars films, he keeps very busy at conventions and is always ready to don the hairy walking carpet once again if asked, no matter the occasion. Peter is very proud of his role and his contribution to Star Wars. I recently interviewed Peter and we talked about life as Chewie, what he thinks of Chewie’s big finale in the Expanded Universe, the Holiday Special, and much more. (Original posting: January 16, 2001)
Tag: acting
Interview with Michael Sheard
(Original posting: January 1, 2004)
Michael Sheard is a veteran actor who has appeared in hundreds of films including Force 10 From Navarone (with Harrison Ford), Escape to Athena, two Indiana Jones films and of course The Empire Strikes Back. He’s also known in the UK as the bow tied teacher Mr. Bronson from the TV show Grange Hill. He’s had countless roles on all kinds of TV shows ranging from Dr. Who to The Avengers. He has four books under his belt and promises more to come. Above all, however, Michael is a gentleman and a fun person to talk to. He took a little time out to answer some questions about his life and career. (Original posting: January 1, 2004)
Interview with Kenny Baker
(Original posting: July 25, 2000)
Kenny Baker is the actor/entertainer who crawled into the R2-D2 unit for every Star Wars film thus far. Being three feet and eight inches tall never stopped Kenny from making it big in the entertainment industry. He was in several fantastic films including Time Bandits, Flash Gordon, Amadeus, The Elephant Man, and of course the Star Wars films. If all goes well, he should end up being one of the proud few who can claim that they were in every Star Wars film. He currently lives in England and is enjoying life relaxing between touring all over the world and appearing at various Sci-fi conventions, something he really enjoys. Kenny was kind enough to take some time out to answer a few of my questions. (Original posting: July 25, 2000)
Interview with Gerald Home
(Original Posting: August 1, 2006)
You might not have seen Gerald Home’s face in Return of the Jedi, but you have seen the masks that covered it. Remember the fellow that was later named Tessek in the Expanded Universe? Older fans know him as “Squid Head.” That was Gerald Home. Remember the Mon Calamari officers standing behind Admiral Ackbar in nearly every scene? Gerald Home was Admiral Ackbar’s main man. Nowadays, he keeps busy with commercials and conventions, but Gerald took a few minutes to answer a few questions for me. (Original Posting: August 1, 2006)
10 Questions with Ashley Eckstein
(Original Posting: May 13, 2010)
You may know Ashley Eckstein as the voice of Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. You may not know that she’s been an actress for many years and has appeared on such popular TV shows as That’s So Raven and Drake and Josh. Recently, she formed Her Universe—the first Star Wars fashion collection just for her. The friendly and down-to-earth Eckstein took some time to answer a few questions for me about her career and her new role in the fashion world. (Original Posting: May 13, 2010)