In "Solo: A Star Wars Story" one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all time, Chewbacca, returns to the big screen. The legendary Wookiee warrior is played by Finnish actor and former college basketball player, Joonas Suotamo.
“It’s been a crazy couple of years being in the suit,” says Suotamo who played Chewbacca in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" as well. “Donald Glover said it on the red carpet: it feels like he’s in the Bible. You’re part of something you’ve known all your life.”
Suotamo has always had an interest in acting but was denied from the acting program at his alma mater, Penn State University. “They said I was too tall,” says Suotamo with a chuckle. “I studied film studies instead.”
Little did he know that his 6’11” height would later help him land the role of a lifetime. In order to play Chewbacca, the actor had to meet three distinct requirements. The first one was height, the second was acting ability and the third was blue eyes. “That was something that J.J. Abrams insisted on when he casted me to play alongside Peter Mayhew,” says Suotamo.
“It’s a very different set of movements from what I would do or how I would behave,” says Suotamo in regards to the acting that goes behind playing Chewbacca. “It’s a very specific thing.” And the noises that Chewbacca makes? They’re actually bear grunts and not from Suotamo himself. “Maybe by the next movie, I’ll have perfected it [noises] more,” jokes Suotamo.
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” hits theaters this Friday.
