Rest in Peace - Stuart Freeborn (1914-2013)

British Creature FX Legend Stuart Freeborn – a man whose credits included some of the most influential films of the 20th century – passed away in London on Tuesday at the age of 98, on Feb 7th.

From CNN:

Star Wars makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, who helped create Chewbacca, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt and the otherworldly creatures in the trilogy’s famous barroom scene, has died, Lucasfilm said Wednesday. He was 98. A creature effects artist, Freeborn also worked on other film classics and was responsible for creating the apelike human ancestors in the “Dawn of Man” sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

"He brought with him not only decades of experience, but boundless creative energy. His artistry and craftsmanship will live on forever in the characters he created. His ‘Star Wars’ creatures may be reinterpreted in new forms by new generations, but at their heart, they continue to be what Stuart created for the original films." George Lucas said in a statement.

Via PuppetVision