The Kenblog: Losing Two Legends!

The first is the passing of enormously talented filmmaker John Singleton at the age of 51 from a stroke on April 29th. Singleton was the youngest man ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for best director at the age of 24 for 1991’s “Boyz N The Hood.” It would be the high point in his artistic career but his subsequent films such as “Higher Learning,” “Poetic Justice” and “Rosewood” all showed the filmmaking talent of a man who definitely had something on his mind about the state of race relations in this country. His most recent work was in television where his successful cocaine drama “Snowfall” is soon to enter its third season.

The man was voice for both social change and cinema and will be missed tremendously. RIP Mr. Singleton!

This next passing affects me to the core as I am a lifelong Star Wars fan. Peter Mayhew, the loveable seven-foot-two giant who brought life to Han Solo’s furry Wookie co-pilot and friend Chewbacca died April 30th at the age of 74. His cause of death has not yet been revealed as of this writing but he had struggled with some health issues over the last few years.

Mayhew was working as an orderly in England when George Lucas cast him in the role of a lifetime. At over seven feet tall, Mayhew was a good deal taller than the actor who played Darth Vader (6-foot-5 David Prowse) which was exactly what Lucas was looking for.

Mayhew may not have been a heralded actor but he was a damn good one, making Chewie come alive through wonderful pantomime and expressive eyes. Since Chewbacca is also almost single-handedly responsible for turning the tide of the Battle of Endor in “Return Of The Jedi” Mayhew is also one of the biggest heroes of the Star Wars Universe as well.

For all intents and purposes, Peter Mayhew was a gentle, funny man who was friends with just about everyone he met and worked with and he took his celebrity as a privilege, not a right. A rare individual who was a special outside of his makeup as he was inside. RIP Peter Mayhew!

Pages: 1 2