The performer who portrayed the Wampa, the icy creature, in the original film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, was Des Webb.
Before his involvement in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Des Webb had not been extensively involved in cinematic acting, as he had no prior film credits.
The weighty costume proved unbearable for Webb, leading to heat exhaustion. A significant portion of the planned scenes featuring the "Ice Creature," initially quite numerous, were ultimately cut from the movie's final cut. The determination was made that none of the scenes met the required quality for the final version, which led to the removal of a complete subplot centered on wampas assaulting Echo Base. Only a few door markings remained, along with a deceased tauntaun undergoing examination by 2-1B.
In the end, the Wampa nearly didn't make it onto the screen at all, appearing only briefly. While Webb participated in some shots, the arm that strikes Luke Skywalker was not Webb's in costume, and the roaring wampa is merely a puppet.
For the 1997 re-release of Empire Strikes Back, advancements in special effects allowed for a clear view of the Wampa on-screen. This time, a tall actor was not required. Howie Weed, an artist from ILM, created and donned the updated Wampa suit, and fresh footage was filmed and integrated with the original. Webb did not appear in this new footage.