WASHINGTON — A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a Wookiee named Chewbacca.

On Monday, the actor who played "Chewie" in the "Star Wars" movies will take the oath to become a U.S. citizen.

British-born Peter Mayhew, 60, played the fur-covered warrior Chewbacca in the original "Star Wars" trilogy of the 1970s and '80s, and the latest movie, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

"I got married to a Texan lady. That more or less decided it," said Mayhew, who has been married to his wife, Angelique, for six years.