When Chewbacca needed protection from BIG Foot hunters.
Chewbacca actor's protection during the filming of Endor sequence in "Return of the Jedi"
FILMSFUNNY FILMING STORIESFILMING CHALLENGESSTAR WARS
1/1/20252 min read
The Endor scenes in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi were filmed in Del Norte County, California, which was chosen by the franchise's creator, George Lucas. Since Endor was a forest planet and Del Norte is located close to the Oregon border, many fans have dubbed the filming location the "Pacific Northwest," which is obvious but, some people wouldn't refer to Northern California as the "Pacific Northwest" because the region is thought to be home to "Bigfoot/Sasquatch."
This is where things get interesting because a legend has surfaced that Peter Mayhew, the tall actor who played Chewbacca, had to be guarded in the forest when filming Endor sequences because of the possibility that someone would mistake him for "Big Foot" and try to shoot him. Mayhew verified this and claimed that in order to ensure that people realize he wasn't a Bigfoot, he was accompanied by crew members wearing brightly colored vests.
It was a major worry since, even if the actor wasn't mistaken for a bigfoot, his costume might easily lead someone to mistake him for a bear or another animal.
In an article published back in 2011, Sean Whitely wrote:
“While shooting “Return of the Jedi” in the redwood forests of Northern California, Peter Mayhew, the seven foot, three inch actor who portrayed Chewbacca the Wookiee, was warned not to walk off set in costume for fear of being shot by hunters. “Remember, this is Bigfoot country,” he was told by concerned crew members.”
Mayhew acknowledged that the film team provided him with special protection, but It wouldn't be a surprise if he's only vaguely recalling that they merely cautioned him. I suppose I think certain crew members were given "Sasquatch protection" duties because I don't really have any reason to particularly refute Mayhew's straight confirmation.
Since Honor Blackman and Sean Murphy wrote a well-known Star Wars Tales narrative in which Han Solo and Chewbacca wind up in the Redwood trees in our past (their present), Han dies, and Chewie survives and BECOMES "Sasquatch," this is all made all the more hilarious.
