{"id":235035,"date":"2015-12-30T11:27:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-30T16:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pennstatehoops.com\/?p=235035"},"modified":"2015-12-30T11:27:32","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T16:27:32","slug":"star-wars-chewbacca-stand-former-penn-state-hoops-player-joonas-suotamo-living-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pennstatehoops.com\/pennstatehoops-com-has-ceased-operations\/star-wars-chewbacca-stand-former-penn-state-hoops-player-joonas-suotamo-living-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"As Star Wars’ Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nJoonas Suotamo at Los Angeles premier of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Dec. 14. (Lucasfilm photo)<\/em><\/p>\n

Dave Jones:<\/p>\n

By the time Hollywood producer Gerry Abrams came to speak at one of his Penn State film classes in 2007, it was pretty clear to Joonas Suotamo and everyone around the PSU basketball program that he was not going to become the next Dirk Nowitzki. But that did not matter to Joonas. He had found his true passion.<\/p>\n

And here was a Penn State graduate<\/a> in the front of his classroom telling the 6-11 Nittany Lion forward of the limitless horizons that technology was offering those who desired a career in movies and television. The year was 2007.<\/p>\n

“It was a tech talk about the amount of opportunity available now in this world that wasn’t there when he was starting out,” remembered Suotamo.<\/p>\n

“I have to say, I agree now. I wasn’t sure if I believed him then.”<\/p>\n

Suotamo’s conviction is well warranted. Because, through a sequence of events that can be termed at once serendipitous and maybe fateful, he plays Chewbacca, pilot-for-hire Hans Solo’s beloved hairy assistant, in the new Star Wars franchise directed by none other than Abrams’ son, J.J.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Source: As Star Wars’ Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joonas Suotamo at Los Angeles premier of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Dec. 14. (Lucasfilm photo) Dave Jones: By the time Hollywood producer Gerry Abrams came to speak at one of his Penn State film classes in 2007, it was pretty clear to Joonas Suotamo and everyone around the PSU basketball program that he … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “As Star Wars’ Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAs Star Wars' Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream - PennStateHoops.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pennstatehoops.com\/pennstatehoops-com-has-ceased-operations\/star-wars-chewbacca-stand-former-penn-state-hoops-player-joonas-suotamo-living-dream\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"As Star Wars' Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream - PennStateHoops.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Joonas Suotamo at Los Angeles premier of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Dec. 14. 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