Bill Walton says Star Wars' Chewbacca was modeled after him. - Los Angeles Times
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Bill Walton claims Chewbacca was modeled after him after auditioning for ‘Star Wars’

Bill Walton is on the left and Chewbacca is on the right.
Did basketball’s big redhead inspire ‘Star Wars’ famous Wookiee?
(Associated Press; LucasFilm Ltd.)
By Chuck SchilkenStaff Writer 
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Bill Walton is tall.

So is Chewbacca.

Walton once had long hair and a shaggy beard.

Chewbacca has hair all over his body.

Walton has a son named Luke.

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Chewbacca has a friend named Luke.

Walton was terrific with a basketball.

Chewbacca is quite handy with a blaster, which starts with the same letter as “basketball.â€

Yep, there’s no doubt about it — Walton and Chewbacca are basically one and the same.

Los Angeles, CA - December 12, 2022: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art under construction in , Los Angeles, CA on Monday, December 12, 2022:. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The $1-billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is rising in Exposition Park, has pushed back its opening date from 2023 to 2025. The two-year delay, the museum says, is due to pandemic complications, specifically supply chain issues that have made the procuring of certain construction materials difficult. "It's not one thing, it's an accumulation of things," Lucas Museum Director Sandra Jackson-Dumont says in an interview. "It's definitely supply chains, delays in getting materials, manufacturer issues, there are all these pieces that have together created this kind of impact on the schedule." The museum broke ground in March 2018 and "topped out" - the term for setting the final beam within its steel structure in place - in March 2021. In April 2021, the museum pushed its targeted 2022 debut by a year because of pandemic-related delays. COVID-19 health and safety protocols had slowed construction, it said at the time. Now, Jackson-Dumont says, two more years are needed not only for construction, but to also make sure the finished building is suitable to house art. "We wanted to give ourselves time, once the building is complete, to make sure the building goes through the proper readiness and remediation processes, so we can ensure the artwork is safe coming into the building," Jackson-Dumont says, referring to temperature controls and other environmental conditions. "And that process - the mitigation - really takes a period of time." The timeline delay, Jackson-Dumont says, will not affect the projected cost of the building. "The budget - that's where we are and we had a contingency in place," she says. Filmmaker George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson are "the primary funding source" for the museum. Should the cost go up, Jackson-Dumont s

California

See the photos: In a galaxy not so far away, Lucas Museum is taking off

The $1-billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is rising in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park.

OK, maybe not. But it doesn’t seem to be too much of a stretch to believe that the basketball Hall of Famer turned beloved broadcaster may have provided inspiration for the furry character from “Star Wars.â€

Trail Blazers center Bill Walton attempts to block out Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a basketball game.
Portland Trail Blazers center Bill Walton attempts to block out Milwaukee Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a game on Jan. 19, 1975.
(Associated Press)

Walton made the claim Thursday night during ESPN’s coverage of Oregon’s game at USC, where the movie franchise’s creator, George Lucas, once attended film school. Here’s Walton’s highly entertaining exchange with broadcast partner Dave Pasch, which includes Walton’s not-quite-correct pronunciation of Chewbacca.

Pasch: “Is it true that you were in the mix to play Chewbacca?â€

Walton: “... Chewybacca is modeled after me.â€

Pasch: “I heard that you were in the running for that, that you were being considered to play the role. I’m being dead serious.â€

Walton: “You’re always serious, that’s one of your problems, that you don’t have fun with your life.â€

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Pasch: “But you’re not answering the question.â€

Entertainment & Arts

Is it Wookie or Wookiee? The Times’ definitive ‘Star Wars’ style guide

When most people think of “Star Wars†style, Princess Leia’s side-buns hairdo and white robe or Darth Vader’s fearsome black helmet and cape probably come to mind.

Walton: “George Lucas is as cool as they get and I remember the night that George, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Bill Russell and me, we were all up at San Francisco at a big fundraiser for the Martin Luther King memorial ...â€

Pasch: “So since you’re not answering the question, I’m just gonna assume it’s true.â€

Walton: “What was the question? I auditioned for Chewybacca and they said ‘No but we’re going to model the character after you.’â€

Pasch: “You were in ‘Ghostbusters’ and people didn’t know that, so again I think there’s a great chance that this is a true story.â€

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The Times was unable to reach Walton or anyone in Lucas’ camp for this story.

Walton won two national titles at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden and was a two-time NBA champion with the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-11 Walton also was the NBA Finals MVP in 1977 and league MVP in 1978.

A Chewbacca character arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"
Chewbacca has been a beloved “Star Wars†character since the franchise’s first film in 1977.
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. His listed size has fluctuated over the years, but he’s generally been in the 7½-foot range. He’s the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, a brave ally of the Rebel Alliance and a loyal friend to Han Solo.

(He has also been referred to as “fuzzball†and a “walking carpet,†terms that could have applied to Walton during various points in the 1970s.)

Walton does have several film credits listed on his IMDB page, including “Ghostbusters†(he briefly appears in the background during the closing credits of the 1984 film). But that page, of course, wouldn’t include a role he tried out for and did not get.

Peter Mayhew arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2015. The towering actor, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, died on April 30 at age 74. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

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Widow of Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew is distressed about planned memorabilia auction

Peter Mayhew left ‘Star Wars’ memorabilia behind when he moved from the U.K. Now, 24 years later, the items appear to be finding their way home.

The late Peter Mayhew, who stood at 7-3, played Chewbacca in all of the “Star Wars†movies through “The Force Awakens†in 2015.

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As fun as it would be to believe that the character was inspired by Walton, alas, Lucas seems to have debunked that claim in the past.

“My original inspiration for Chewbacca was my dog, Indiana. She was the one that sat there with me as I was writing the script all the time, she’d ride in the car with me and be my co-pilot,†Lucas said in “The Characters of Star Wars†featurette on the 2004 “Star Wars Trilogy†DVD box set.

“And when she’d sit in the car, she would be as tall as I am. She was an Alaskan Malamute, she was very big — I thought that was a funny image. And as I was looking for a kind of alien co-pilot for Han Solo, I immediately thought of Indiana.â€

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Chuck Schilken

Chuck Schilken is a sports reporter on the Fast Break team. He spent more than 18 years with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports Department in a variety of roles. Before joining The Times, he worked for more than a decade as a sports reporter and editor at newspapers in Virginia and Maryland.

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