NEW YORK: Before last week, Candace Payne’s infectious laugh was known only to her close friends and family. After she went into hysterics donning a toy Chewbacca mask in a video she posted online, more than 144 million viewers know it too.
Payne went live on Facebook from her car in a Texas parking lot after buying the mask Thursday. By Sunday night, she was in New York City for a Monday morning appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” On Tuesday, Payne was invited to the Facebook headquarters. Mark Zuckerberg shared photos of her tour of Facebook’s office in Menlo Park, California, where she got to hang out with Chewbacca.
“We invited Candace Payne — whose Chewbacca mask video got 141 million views and is now the most-watched Facebook Live video ever — to come by Facebook HQ today,” Zuckerberg wrote. “And we had a fun surprise for her!”
On Monday’s “Late Late Show,” host James Corden read a message to Payne from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who says he has carved out time to meet her during an upcoming visit to her home state of Texas.
Earlier in the show, Payne appeared in a skit alongside Corden and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams in which the three wore the masks that emit Chewbacca’s distinctive roar.
“The world, as a whole, is in need of a good laugh,” she said on “GMA” when asked why she thought her video had struck a chord.
Payne said she headed to a Kohl’s department store in search of yoga pants Thursday when she brushed the Chewbacca mask by mistake. After the toy emitted the Star Wars creature’s distinctive roar, she said she had to have it.
“I don’t think my kids need that, I think I need that,” she said she thought.
After making a few more stops, she said the mask was “just calling from the bag” and she posted to Facebook .
On Friday, representatives of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Kohl’s came to her Grand Prarie, Texas, home bearing Chewbacca masks for her husband and two children along with other Star Wars toys and $2,500 in gift cards. On “Good Morning America,” she was presented with more toys and another $2,500 gift certificate.
Payne went live on Facebook from her car in a Texas parking lot after buying the mask Thursday. By Sunday night, she was in New York City for a Monday morning appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” On Tuesday, Payne was invited to the Facebook headquarters. Mark Zuckerberg shared photos of her tour of Facebook’s office in Menlo Park, California, where she got to hang out with Chewbacca.
“We invited Candace Payne — whose Chewbacca mask video got 141 million views and is now the most-watched Facebook Live video ever — to come by Facebook HQ today,” Zuckerberg wrote. “And we had a fun surprise for her!”
On Monday’s “Late Late Show,” host James Corden read a message to Payne from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who says he has carved out time to meet her during an upcoming visit to her home state of Texas.
Earlier in the show, Payne appeared in a skit alongside Corden and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams in which the three wore the masks that emit Chewbacca’s distinctive roar.
“The world, as a whole, is in need of a good laugh,” she said on “GMA” when asked why she thought her video had struck a chord.
Payne said she headed to a Kohl’s department store in search of yoga pants Thursday when she brushed the Chewbacca mask by mistake. After the toy emitted the Star Wars creature’s distinctive roar, she said she had to have it.
“I don’t think my kids need that, I think I need that,” she said she thought.
After making a few more stops, she said the mask was “just calling from the bag” and she posted to Facebook .
On Friday, representatives of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Kohl’s came to her Grand Prarie, Texas, home bearing Chewbacca masks for her husband and two children along with other Star Wars toys and $2,500 in gift cards. On “Good Morning America,” she was presented with more toys and another $2,500 gift certificate.
