Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From The Star Wars Universe

Doggone It!

Chewbacca was big and imposing but also somehow endearing and cuddly, and it turns out that there is a reason for this; he was inspired by a dog. George Lucas had an Alaskan malamute named Indiana who served as the inspiration for Han Solo’s sidekick, Chewbacca, and presumably the strange language he half-spoke, half-growled.

Indiana was also the inspiration for another George Lucas character, or at least his name was. Indiana Jones was named after George Lucas’s dog. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indian’s dad, Henry Jones, explains his son’s name. “Indiana was the dog’s name.”

Peter Mayhew Not as Big as Others

Speaking of Chewbacca, you might wonder what the deal is with Peter Mayhew, the actor who played him. While you might not recognize him out of his Chewbacca costume, surely his face is recognizable as some other character, right? He had to have gone on to star in some other huge films like his costars in the Star Wars franchisedid.

Sadly, that was not the case. Peter Mayhew’s career was almost entirely spent portraying the character of Chewbacca, aside from a voice over role in Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy. His adult career pretty much just consists of playing Chewbacca.