Who is Joonas Suotamo?

Joonas Suotamo is a Finnish actor, best known for his portrayal of the iconic character Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise. He was born on October 3, 1986, in Espoo, Finland, and initially pursued a career in basketball before finding success in acting.

Suotamo began his acting career in 2011 with a small role in the Finnish comedy film 'Tähtitaivas Talon Yllä.' He continued to work in small roles in both Finnish and American productions. However, his breakthrough came in 2015 when he was chosen as the new actor to portray Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise. In the movie 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' Suotamo shared the role of Chewbacca with the legendary actor Peter Mayhew, who portrayed the character in the original trilogy.

After Mayhew's retirement, Suotamo took on the role of Chewbacca in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi,' 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' and other Star Wars-related productions. The actor has successfully managed to capture the essence of Chewbacca's character, displaying an incredible range of emotions, despite the fact that the character doesn't speak English. Suotamo's performance and on-screen chemistry with Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich received high praise in the 2018 standalone film 'Solo: A Star Wars Story.'

Aside from Star Wars, Suotamo has appeared in a handful of other productions, including movies like 'The Grizzlies' and 'Stupid Young Heart.' He is also a philanthropist and a passionate supporter of the Special Olympics. In his personal life, Suotamo is married and has a daughter. Overall, Joonas Suotamo has made a remarkable impact in the entertainment industry and has taken on the challenge of portraying one of the most iconic characters in cinema history with grace and skill.