Since most of Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place decades before the events we’ve seen so far {aside from Episodes 1-3}, most of the characters had to be recast as younger versions of themselves. But one actor who has starred in the last two Star Wars installments- The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi- was actually able to keep his role. That actor was Joonas Suotamo and he kept his role because he played Chewbacca!
At 7′ tall and with a bright and beaming presence, Joonas Suotamo was probably made for this role {even though he looks nothing like Chewbacca, of course!}. Interviewing him a couple of weeks ago was so much fun as you could tell how much he loves the character! Read on to see what he had to say about stepped into the Millennium Falcon, meeting Harrison Ford for the first time, and why he was born to play Chewbacca!
How long did it take you to learn to speak Wookie?
When they told me I’m gonna meet Harrison Ford the next day. It took me that 24 hours.
What was it like meeting Harrison Ford?
It was great. I think I was so nervous that my first thing I said when I saw Harrison was, “Harrison, oh, boy, I wasn’t even born when you guys made these films!” And he did not like that very much. But we were able to climb over that hurdle and start again.
How did you make the jump from pro basketball player to starring as Chewbacca? This is your third film as Chewbacca, could you tell us the transition and how you got the role?
Out of the blue sky came a call one day from the Finnish Basketball Association, who had received a request for a person who has blue eyes, is seven feet tall. Yeah, anyone could find that guy. And so the casting was pretty desperate at that point to find one. And they called me and I said immediately I’m interested. Didn’t take a second to think about it. We didn’t know what the role was, so, I just said, yes, whatever it is, I’m in.
I filmed a video of me playing a caveman, half naked in my old high school gym. Just the kind of video where I just grunt, just playing this cave man who gets shot in the knee with an arrow. Just for them to see, because they asked for it. They wanted to see if I could do the acting required for the film. Then four or five months it took to really go through the process. And at the end of it, I received a call that, congrats, you are playing Chewbacca.
How did years of playing basketball prepare you for the strenuous stunts and action in the film?
I think basketball certainly gifted me extra body awareness. And also the trips I made with various teams and the national team of Finland and everything, I met so many wonderful players and people, and I grew up to become a very social guy. I have always observed movements because we had guys on our team who run a very specific kinda way, and I’ve always loved the fact that we are different as humans. And I’ve always tried to imitate- in a very loving way- my teammates and how they run.
And that has more than anything- alongside with growing up with dogs and observing them when I was a kid- secretly prepared me for the role of playing Chewbacca. And on top of that, we Fins have a very rich sauna tradition. So, I can withstand heat exceptionally well. So basically you could say I was born to play this role.
What is the biggest challenge with the suit, like something we wouldn’t normally think of? What was the biggest obstacle with that?
I think it’s the fact that every day you need to have someone poke your eyes with rich black makeup, just to hide the white of my eyes. And get into the suit that’s, while lovely, is also filled with hidden dangers. Maria Cork, who’s my handler on set, she has to be with pincers, getting those hairs out of my eyes.
The biggest one probably is just respecting the legacy of Chewbacca, because he was played by Peter Mayhew, the legendary, original Chewbacca. And I want it to be so that the fans going to these films see the same Chewbacca who was in the original films, because Chewbacca is so loved and I would not want there to be a feeling that Chewbacca somehow feels different this time around.
Did you consult with Peter Mayhew?
Yes, I consulted with Peter. I had a week long Wookie Bootcamp. He showed me the original films and clips, and we looked at his walk, and he told me why he did it such a way and what he did and what he was thinking at the time. And it was so helpful, because I had done some studying up myself previously. And to hear from the master himself how and why did he do those things helped me tremendously in preparing for this role.
Angie [Mayhew, Peter Mayhew’s wife] and Peter- I met them both at the same time. I went to his trailer and they really embraced and gave me their blessing to play this part, which was a huge deal for me, because Star Wars is so beloved that I would hate there to be any kind of bad water when we do this. Because it’s a very significant thing and must be hard to let go of something that you dedicated your life to and when the fans love you so much. But I’ve assured them that he’ll always be the original Chewbacca and there’s no one who can take that away from him.
So, Chewy has the bag on at all times. What was in your bag?
Mainly it’s empty, but on certain days when kids come visiting the set, I usually put some chocolates or some sweets so that after they’ve come back- after they run away frightened when I appear- when they come back I usually bribe them with sweets.
Action scenes can be difficult enough to film. How does the Wookie suit make it even more challenging?
The main obstacle is the heat and the endurance throughout the day. But also it’s the fact that first of all, I gotta be careful with the suit. They don’t want me doing everything I can. If I would make a roll suddenly on the floor, Maria would be very, very angry with me. So, I have to be careful.
But I also have to do what’s required of me by the Director. And that’s something, because you gotta constantly be aware of the suit, how it moves and how it looks on camera. So, that’s why I have to go and look at the screens after the takes, making people think that I’m sort of a diva or something. It’s really just I want to make it look right. And I trust the directors, but I still want to see and if I could do something myself to improve the next day. And that’s maybe the hardest thing. Because the moves of Chewbacca are very much something I can do as a basketball player.
What was it like stepping out of Millennium Falcon for the very first time, and then how was this movie and how was this Millennium Falcon set different?
Well, the first time I stepped on the Millennium Falcon was on The Force Awakens. It was the first day of Harrison on the Millennium Falcon. And there were people crying.
And I didn’t cry, I held the tears back. After you heard what happened initially- this was a couple hours after that. So, I wanted to be on my good behavior for the rest of the day.
There was the smell of home improvement stores because they’ve used these materials that you can find from there. When they made the original films, they used a certain Styrofoam or whatever as an insulator type of thing in between the panels and everything. And there’s the smell that’s always there. And Mark Hamill actually commented on the same thing.
And it is just the marvelous thing, because your mind goes back to when you saw the movie and the first time Luke put on that helmet and battled against the floating ball, which I still don’t know how they did that. And you know all the angles that they used. And it’s wonderful to be there, because it’s part of everyone’s childhood and memories, those places. And now when the Millennium Falcon is new and well-kept and there’s a minibar in the corner, and there is a cloak cape closet, which is more like a luxury room than a closet, it’s just wonderful to see that difference. It goes to deepening my appreciation for the ship, because it has a history now. And, boy, I just hope nobody ever tarnishes that very sweet décor on that ship.
So, you’ve played Chewbacca before, but how is it different in this film playing a younger Chewbacca, who kind of becomes the Chewy that we know?
Right, he becomes the character. This movie happens in a time where the empire is expanding, and Chewbacca is in a very bad situation at the start of this film. So, I approached it as Chewbacca is very much looking for a way out and going on his own somewhere, because he has a family. He has a commitment to his tribe. And I was very much looking forward to this, because he’s very different.
He walks around with worry on his shoulders, because he doesn’t know where this road will take him. And this movie also shows what that new life for Chewbacca is going to be and if he will take that. And it was very interesting to do, because he doesn’t have any kind of structure in his life at that point. And we talked with Alden, we talked a lot about the arc of their friendship and how to start that journey together so that the audience will see the development and also the downs and the ups of that relationship. And it was very important to get right, because we all wanna see how that relationship started.
About the movie:
Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.
Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters May 25th! Get your tickets now! You can also follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or by using the hashtag #HanSolo.
Be sure to check out my other Solo: A Star Wars Story coverage, including an interview with the new Han, Alden Ehrenreich, new character Qi’ra {Emilia Clarke}, villain Dryden Vos {Paul Bettany} and Director Ron Howard; my no-spoilers review, and my experience from the world premiere!
