Stuart Freeborn Dies, Star Wars Yoda Creator: Legendary Star Wars Make Up Artist Dies at 98

Stuart Freeborn, a legendary movie makeup artist responsible for creating such icon creatures such as Yoda and Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, has died at the age of 98 years old yesterday.  Freeborn's granddaughter, Michelle, said he passed away Tuesday in London due to old age. Michelle, who lives in Wellington, New Zealand, said her grandfather was "like a hero" to her and inspired her and her late father to get into the film industry, too. Star Wars production company, LucasFilm, made a public announcement of Freeborn's death on Wednesday and said he was  "leaving a legacy of unforgettable contributions."

Born in London in 1914, Freeborn began his film career in the 1930s and honed his make-up skills on stars of the time including Marlene Dietrich and Vivien Leigh.

After his World War II air force service, he worked on British cinema classics including Oliver Twist. Freeborn later worked with Stanley Kubrick on Doctor Strangelove and transformed Peter Sellers in numerous characters. He also designed the apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey for Kubrick. Freeborn's most iconic creations were his Star Wars characters Chewbacca, Yoda, and Jabba the Hut, to name a few.

Nick Maley, a makeup artist who worked with Freeborn in the 1970s, called him a mentor stating:

"It was my years working with him that helped me learn how to think, how to solve problems, how to not take the most obvious path. Everybody will remember him for Star Wars, but he did so much more than that. No one should overlook the groundbreaking work he did on 2001: A Space Odyssey. That was really the forerunner of Star Wars and used a lot of the same technology."

Star Wars creator, George Lucas, said of his former colleague:

"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."

Michelle and seven grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren survive Freeborn. Michelle said of her grandfather:

"He was a really fun and imaginative individual. He gave you the feeling that if you wanted to achieve something, you should just get on and do it, and don't ever use excuses. He enjoyed life and the amazing world we live in.