Chewbacca Actor Talks About Playing A Jedi Wookie In The Acolyte
Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo has discussed his role in the upcoming Star Wars TV series The Acolyte, in which he plays a Jedi Wookie named Kelnacca. Speaking to Empire, Suotamo said it was a “dream come true” to step into a role he’s been dreaming about since childhood.
“Ever since [I was] five years old, I’ve been fantasizing about being a Jedi, like every kid,” he said. “When the word Jedi was first mentioned [in talks for The Acolyte], I felt really excited–like a little kid who finally gets his favorite toy on his birthday.”
Suotamo took over as Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew, who passed away in 2019. Suotamo said he learned from Mayhew that Chewbacca is meant to be played as a mime character, in that the audience doesn’t know precisely what he’s saying but they understand through his mannerisms, including his roar. For The Acolyte, Suotamo said he applied these lessons and added a little more resolve to make Kelnacca a Jedi.