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Kenny Baker (August 24, 1934 – August 13, 2016[1]) was a British actor best known as the man inside of R2-D2 in the Star Wars film series.
Baker, at 3 feet, 8 inches (112 cm) tall, was a circus and cabaret performer with entertainer Jack Purvis when George Lucas hired him to be the man inside R2-D2 in Star Wars in 1977. Though both he and his wife have dwarfism, their two sons do not. Baker appears in all six of the Star Wars films, although stock footage was used for much of R2-D2's role in Revenge of the Sith.[2] Baker even played an additional role in 1983's Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the Ewok who stole an Imperial speeder bike. He was originally going to play Wicket W. Warrick, but he fell ill, and that role was handed over to eleven year old Warwick Davis.
In Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Baker was credited as "R2 Consultant." R2-D2 in the movie was represented by actor Jimmy Vee.[3]
Baker had also worked with George Lucas outside of the Star Wars films, with an uncredited role as a Nelwyn band member in Willow, as well as a role as the Goblin Corps in Labyrinth.
Baker's other films include 1980's The Elephant Man, 1981's Time Bandits, and the 1986 Jim Henson film Labyrinth. In the late 1990s, Baker launched a stand up comedy career. Kenny is a first class mouth-organ player and rates his guest appearance with the James Coutts Scottish Dance Band at Hugh McCaig's Silverstone Party in July 1997 as probably his "finest musical experience."
Baker was hospitalized on April 9, 2008 because of a "mystery illness,"[4] and on August 13, 2016, passed away at the age of 81.[1]
Bibliography
- "The Real R2-D2... Kenny Baker" — Star Wars Insider 23
- "When Artoo Met Wicket" — Star Wars Insider 39
- The Astromech's New Clothes on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
- Inside Artoo on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
- Endor's Worst Drivers on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
- Star Wars: Episode VII Adds Academy Award Winner Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie on StarWars.com (backup link (star-wars-episode-vii-adds-academy-award-winner-lupita-nyongo-and-game-of-thrones-gwendoline-christie.html) not verified!)
- "Launch Pad" — Star Wars Insider 150
- Kenny Baker, the Actor Who Brought R2-D2 to Life, Passes Away on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kenny Baker, the R2-D2 Robot in 'Star Wars,' Dies at 81 on www.nytimes.com (August 13, 2016) (archived from the original on August 28, 2017)
- ↑ Metro.co.uk Interview with Kenny Baker
- ↑ Little Actor Jimmy Vee Is Artoo-Detoo In Star Wars: Episode VIII? by Ward, Jason, published by Making Star Wars on makingstarwars.net (September 16, 2015) (backup link not verified!)
- ↑ R2-D2 Actor Struck Down With Mystery Illness by WENN on www.contactmusic.net (April 10, 2008) (backup link not verified!)
External links
- Official site
- Kenny Baker on Wikipedia
- Kenny Baker at the Internet Movie Database
- Baker Returns on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)