Joonas Viljami Suotamo is a Finnish actor and former professional basketball player. He is best known for his role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars saga, taking over the role from Peter Mayhew, first as a body double, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and later as the principal performer of Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.