Alumni

A Big Big-screen Star

Alumnus Joonas Suotamo Stars as Chewbacca

Photo composite of the Star Wars character Chewbacca on the left and the Penn State alumnus actor, Joonas Suotamo, that plays him on the right

Several Bellisario College alumni have built on-screen careers in the entertainment industry but the biggest these days — certainly the tallest — is Joonas Suotamo (’08 Film), who plays Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies.

Suotamo moved into the role in “Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi” (2017) and continued in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018). His
latest film, and the last in the legendary big-screen series, is “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which was released Dec. 20, 2019.

The 6-foot-10 Suotamo, from Espoo, Finland, played basketball at Penn State as an undergraduate student from 2005 to 2008.