A great deal of Richard Marquand’s 1983 film *Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi* takes place on the forest moon of Endor. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), the Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 (Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker) all travel there to disable a shield generator protecting an under-construction Death Star orbiting the moon. If they succeed, their Rebel compatriots will be able to take down the Death Star. It’s a tale as old as time.
The iconic forest scenes in *Return of the Jedi* were partly filmed at Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park in northern California, as well as at a private forest near nearby Smith River. The park truly looks like an alien world, thanks to the impressively massive trees that line the landscape. Fans of *Star Wars* still visit these locations today, hoping to recognize a tree or glade from the movie.
Back when Marquand was filming, some of the crew became very concerned for Peter Mayhew’s safety. Recall that Wookiees are tall, furry aliens. Chewbacca doesn’t wear clothes (aside from his signature bandolier), so he resembles a bear, a large humanoid dog, or a sasquatch. Indeed, at an imposing 7’3”, Mayhew was well-proportioned like a sasquatch in his Chewbacca costume.
It was fitting for Chewbacca to be wandering the forests of the Pacific Northwest, as that region is known for most notable Bigfoot sightings. As far as anyone knows, these forests are the only home to the famously elusive cryptid.
According to a 1986 issue of *Starlog Magazine*, the *Return of the Jedi* crew warned Mayhew to stay close to the film’s shooting locations. After all, if he wandered off into the woods, he could have been mistaken for—and shot by—Bigfoot hunters. The more dangerous area was near Smith River, where Bigfoot hunters were known to roam.
Mayhew recalled the serious instructions he received to stay close to camp:
> “We were shooting on a timber estate where they grow the trees. It was known as Bigfoot Country. So, I got strict instructions not to wander off in costume. Can you imagine it? I’m in full costume, going through the undergrowth, and some guy comes from the other side of where we were filming with a shotgun—BANG! ‘I got Bigfoot!’”
This caution proved wise. A Bigfoot hunter peering through the trees and spotting Chewbacca roaming nearby would almost certainly confuse him for the real thing.
Fortunately, no one took potshots at Mayhew that day, and he escaped the set of *Return of the Jedi* unscathed.
Peter Mayhew continued to appear in *Star Wars* projects for years, donning the Chewbacca costume each time. He played small roles on the “Star Tours” ride at Disneyland and appeared in 2005’s *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith*. Mayhew reprised Chewbacca once more in 2015’s *Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens*.
For *The Force Awakens*, Mayhew shared the role with actors Joonas Suotamo and Ian Whyte due to health issues. He was having trouble with his knees and spine, having undergone knee replacement surgery in 2013.
Though Mayhew does not appear on-screen in *Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi* (2017), he is credited as a “Chewbacca consultant.”
Peter Mayhew passed away in 2019 at the age of 74. His loss was felt deeply by *Star Wars* fans worldwide. He had spoken extensively about his time playing Chewbacca and even authored children’s books inspired by what it’s like to be so tall—a true gentle giant both on and off the screen.
https://www.slashfilm.com/1994475/star-wars-crew-worried-peter-mayhew-safety-chewbacca-bigfoot-hunters/