According to Deadline, JJ Abrams did a bit of backseat driving during Candace Payne’s appearance on The Late Late Show and even offered her a few pointers for capturing the essence of Chewbacca. At first, Corden was a bit miffed that Payne seemed more interested in playing with her new toy than in driving him to work, but he eventually relented and joined her (and Abrams) in donning the now-famous wookiee mask. Of course, everyone’s favorite infectious laugh quickly spread throughout the vehicle and soon the trio was in stitches, slapping their knees, clapping their hands, and holding their stomachs.
There’s so much to love about this segment, and it’s stuff like this that makes Star Wars the pop-culture phenomenon that it is. Almost every day, someone, somewhere does something we’ve never seen before with the story, one of its songs, or one of its characters.
The original video was broadcast on Facebook Live on Friday and immediately became the most successful video in the relatively short history of the platform. It has since racked up a startling 70 million-plus views and has spawned an endless array of remixes and imitations. If you have yet to see it, you can check it out below and, if you do, we want you to ask yourself the following question: Have I ever been that happy about anything?
If you’re anything like us, the answer might be no, but the video is a reminder to embrace the simple joys in life. With all the Sturm and Drang in the world today, we can all learn a little something about levity from the woman who will henceforth be known as Chewbacca mom.
