RIP Peter Mayhew

As I write this, it’s been about a week since Peter Mayhew passed.

I think of all of the Star Wars characters, he was loved by a lot of people like me who saw him as a child. He was quite literally Han’s best friend. The man behind the mask—Peter, was kind and well liked. It’s a shame to see the passing of such an iconic person, but what he conveyed in the early films lives on in-character through Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role completely in Solo and The Last Jedi.

Along with the Star Trek idols of my childhood, the torch is passing to the next generation. I don’t think that the new trilogies will hold such a legacy. Star Wars had hit such a cultural desire at a time when science fiction was craved but what was delivered before then was… at best cheaply made. After that, many things changed.

There are always new paths to explore and new cultural phenomena developing all the time. This was one of my own childhood and Peter Mayhew (along with Carrie Fisher and Kenny Banks) were are part of that. I can’t go back and relive my childhood, but my formative years were shaped by these hopeful stories. By actors who gave themselves over to the roles that had defined their careers and created an enduring fanbase.

There are always new galaxies to explore, new adventures waiting for us. Look up and look forward to these futures and adventures. Thank you, Peter.

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Image courtesy of starwars.com