The Star Wars universe is mourning as news broke today of the death of one of the franchise’s most beloved — and most towering — cast members: Peter Mayhew, the 7-foot-2 actor who played Chewbacca in five movies, died Tuesday at the age of 74.

Mayhew's family made the announcement from the actor's official Twitter account late Thursday afternoon.

"The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away," they wrote. "He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home."

The family of Peter Mayhew, with deep love and sadness, regrets to share the news that Peter has passed away. He left us the evening of April 30, 2019 with his family by his side in his North Texas home. pic.twitter.com/YZ5VLyuK0u — Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) May 2, 2019

Mayhew wore the iconic “fuzzball” suit as Han Solo's hairy and unintelligible Wookiee sidekick in the first three Star Wars movies (1977's A New Hope, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's The Return of the Jedi) as well as the 2005 prequel Revenge of the Sith. He also played Chewie in the notorious 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, which focused on Chewbacca’s family as they prepared to celebrate the Wookiee holiday of Life Day.

View photos Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) in the original "Star Wars." (Photo: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm courtesy of the Everett Collection.) More

A native of Barnes, Surrey, in the U.K., Mayhew returned to the hirsute role for 2015’s The Force Awakens. But because of chronically bad knees (he spent much of his offscreen time in a wheelchair or using his trademark lightsaber-shaped cane), Mayhew had to split the duties with Finnish newcomer Joonas Suotamo, a former basketball player. While he was physically unable to perform again after that film, Mayhew served as a consultant to Suotamo for 2017’s The Last Jedi and last year’s spin-off, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

View photos Peter Mayhew getting into costume in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." (Photo: Lucasfilm) More

At the time, Suotamo posted on Instagram that “Peter’s guidance and kindness have been invaluable gifts which warmed my spirit and prepared me for this journey. I aspire to make Peter proud and bring Star Wars fans the Chewie they know and love.”

A “devastated” Suotamo responded to Mayhew’s death on Thursday. “Peter’s warm welcome when I came aboard as his double on The Force Awakens meant so much to me,” he said in a tweeted statement. “Studying the character he helped create was always a daunting task, but one that was made easier by his tutelage and kindness as we sought to bring Chewbacca to life for a new generation. He was an absolutely one-of-a-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivaled class and I will miss him.”

George Lucas, who hired Mayhew to play a character affectionately dubbed a “walking carpet,” issued a statement calling Mayhew “a wonderful man. He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature — and I learned to always let him win. He was a good friend, and I’m saddened by his passing.”

Harrison Ford, Mayhew’s co-pilot in the Millennium Falcon for four films, released a statement praising his late colleague. “Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character. These aspects of his own personality, plus his wit and grace, he brought to Chewbacca. We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him. He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience.