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PETER MAYHEW
Interview
with: Gareth
Von Kallenbach
The subject of our latest Big Question here at the mighty
Shotgun is no other than Chewbacca himself, Peter Mayhew!
As you know, Mr. Mayhew has quite the high profile, both due
to his convention appearances and well, height. Our contributing
movie reviewer Gareth Von Kallenbach caught up with Mr. Mayhew
recently.
The never-more-appropriately-named Big Q
& A
Recently
I had a chance to talk with Peter Mayhew during his recent
visit to Seattle. While his time was very limited, Peter was
kind enough to give me his thoughts on matters Stars Wars
past and present. The interview had to be conducted via mail,
and as such, I did not have the chance to follow up on some
of the questions as I would have liked, but I thank Peter
for his kindness and time.
GVK: Did
you see the Phantom Menace, and what did you think of it?
PM: Yes,
It was the first chapter of a book, and as such it was an
introduction to the larger story of Star Wars. Parts of the
film were good, but some parts were not as good.
GVK: How
do you think the new films will compare to the original series
and how do you think they will be compared in the future?
PM: I
do not think they compare at all. The new films are different
stories and they have a greater emphasis on effects than the
earlier films did. I think that in the future, the original
series will still be considered good films.
GVK: What
have you been doing of late, and do you have any projects
in the works?
PM: Lately
I have been attending many conventions the world over. It
is always great to be able to meet the fans and be able to
speak about my Star Wars experiences. I had some theater projects
that I have been looking into as well, but they are currently
on hold and there is nothing to say about them.
GVK: If
you were to be given the chance to play Chewie again, how
would you like to see the character used? PM: It would be
the same as before as Han's sidekick.
GVK: When
the decision was made to kill off Chewie in the book series,
were you contacted about this and what were you thoughts on
this? PM: Yes, I was contacted about this. I saw that a character
needed to be killed in order to jostle the other characters
and add an element of freshness and danger to the series and
Chewbacca was the most likely to go, as they could not kill
Luke, Han, or Leia.
GVK: If
you could change anything about your portrayal of Chewie,
what would it have been and why?
PM: I
would not change anything as I was happy with the character
and my work bringing him to life.
GVK: Do
you keep in touch with the original cast and do you have fond
memories of the experiences?
PM: Yes,
to both questions. The friends and experiences I made and
encountered were amongst the best in my life.
GVK: Do
you think that Star Wars has faded in terms of popularity
over the years?
PM: No,
it has not faded, in fact, based on recent happenings such
as the new films, and the book series, I would say that the
interest is stronger than ever.
GVK: What
would you attribute the staying power of the series to?
PM: Having
a good story and great effects as well as characters that
are likeable, interesting, and memorable. It is a fairy tale
battle of good vs. evil, and in that, it will always be timeless.
GVK: Are
you and Chewie alike and how much input did George Lucas allow
you to have in the character?
PM: Yes,
Chewie and I are alike in some ways. I would say that the
character and the input are one in the same. By combining
50% of myself and 50% of what was given to me for Chewie,
I was able to create the character and personalize him.
We'd like
to thank both Gareth and Mr. Mayhew! Gareth's reviews can
be read here in the Review Rack as well as many other locations
online. You may contact Gareth at gareth@nwlink.com
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