‘Star Wars’ actor Peter Mayhew has undergone spinal surgery to aid his mobility.
Peter is best known for his portrayal of Chewbacca in the sci-fi saga, and revealed to his followers on Tuesday that the operation had been successful.
He wrote: “Sorry, I’ve been quiet as of late. I’ve been planning & going through some spinal surgery to improve my mobility. It’s been a success & I’ll be spending the upcoming weeks recovering.
“A big thank you to the doctors, staff, my family & friends that have helped me through this.”
The tweet was accompanied by a photo of Peter in his hospital bed, striking a pose reminiscent of his character in the Millennium Falcon.
Unfortunately, he also revealed that he will be missing a planned appearance at next week’s London Film & Comic Con while he recovers.
Peter added: “Due to my recent surgery, I will not be able to attend the upcoming London Film & Comic Con, but I have rescheduled and will be attending their show in March. Sorry to miss you all but I’ll be over as soon as my legs can paddle me across the pond.”
The 74-year-old actor made his debut as Chewbacca in the first ‘Star Wars film ‘A New Hope’ in 1977, and has appeared in almost all the films in the franchise since, most recently in 2016’s ‘The Last Jedi’.
Due to his health issues, Peter now shares the role with Finnish actor and basketball star Joonas Suotamo, who played Chewie by himself in the ‘Star Wars’ origin story ‘Solo’.
It is not yet known whether the character will appear in the upcoming ninth instalment in the ‘Star Wars’ saga, which is currently slated for release next year.