George Lucas’ Alaskan Malamute, Indiana, inspired the creation of Chewbacca in Star Wars. The dog also inspired the name of Indiana Jones. Lucas was a former race car driver and worked as a cameraman on the Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter. He also likes the disliked character Jar Jar Binks.
Film history is full of famous dogs, from Lassie and Rin Tin Tin to Benji and Tramp, but just like with actors, there are some underdogs who never get the attention they deserve. One of these puppies was Indiana, an Alaskan Malamute owned by Star Wars creator George Lucas in the 1970s. The huge dog used to ride alongside Lucas in his car, inspiring Lucas to create a furry co-pilot for one of his most famous characters, Han Solo. That’s right, Chewbacca the Wookiee owes his existence to a dog. Lucas said his constant companion “inspired me to give Han Solo a companion that was like a big, furry dog. Not quite like a dog, but smart.” Like the Malamute, Chewbacca was a big boy and needed a big actor to put on the costume. Luckily, a 7-foot actor named Peter Mayhew was available, and the rest is science fiction history. For the record, the dog was also the inspiration for the name of another famous George Lucas character, the whip-wielding adventurer Indiana Jones.
The stars align for George Lucas:
George Lucas only became a director after he gave up being a professional race car driver and joined the US Air Force.
Many Star Wars fans seem to dislike the Jar Jar Binks character, but George Lucas has called him one of his favorites.
One of George Lucas’ first jobs was working as a cameraman on the Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter.
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