DENVER — Not even Chewbacca and his light saber get a free pass with airport security before being cleared to travel.
Transportation Security Administration agents in Denver briefly stopped “Star Wars” franchise actor Peter Mayhew recently as he was boarding a flight with a cane shaped like one of science-fiction’s most iconic weapons.
Airport officials say they wanted to inspect the huge walking stick before allowing Mayhew, who is more than 7 feet tall, on the plane.
A flurry of media reports made it seem as though security officials buckled to pressure from Chewie’s fans in allowing the actor to board the flight with the cane, but officials say that characterization is inaccurate and that Mayhew was held up for only a few minutes before being allowed through the security checkpoint.
