TSA recently stopped "Star Wars" actor, Peter Mayhem when he was boarding a ship. Mayhem has famously played Chewbacca in the franchise.
Mayhem was holding a cane shaped like a light saber and officials at the airport said they wanted to inspect the walking stick, which was more than 7 feet tall, before allowing him on the plane, reported The Huffington Post.
The actor was on his way back home to Texas from Denver when he was stopped by the TSA. The actor was in Denver for Comic Con.
Mayhew's personal website says that he is "an English hospital worker who inadvertently found himself catapulted into films, was the towering gentle giant responsible for bringing Chewbacca to life. Mayhew, who stands 7'3", was born in Barnes, England."
Mayhew tweeted "Giant man need giant cane" when the incident occurred on June 3. He also posted photos of TSA agents holding the cane.
"The decision to cast Mayhew as Chewbacca proved wise. The giant actor threw himself into the role with great determination. Shortly before filming began on Star Wars, Mayhew visited a zoo where he studied the movement of bears, monkeys, gorillas and other animals with traits reminiscent of a Wookiee. Once inside the costume, Mayhew created one of the trilogy's most memorable and popular characters. Although Chewie's vocalizations were later dubbed into the film in post-production, to cue his fellow actors Mayhew simulated the character's dialogue from within the mask. On set, he was known to growl, grunt and shriek," Mayhew's website says.
"Because of the unusual weight of the passenger's cane, a security officer alerted a supervisor. Less than five minutes later the passenger and cane were cleared to travel. Social media played no role in the determination," the TSA said in a statement released to The Associated Press.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
