Kenny Baker, the 3 feet 8 inches tall actor, who starred in the first Star Wars films as well as classics the Time Bandits, The Elephant Man, Labyrinth and Flash Gordon, passed away on August 13. The actor had been ill for some time.
Ziggy (@mrjafri) “A Legend has left us. Kenny Baker will be Greatly Missed…”
Kenny Baker was born and educated in Birmingham, West Midlands, U.K. He became an actor at the age of 16 (in 1950) as part of a a theatrical troupe of dwarfs and midgets. It was during the mid-1970s that his film career took off.
Baker rose to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character R2-D2, who, with fellow “droid” C-3PO (played by Antony Daniels) provided Laurel and Hardy-esque comedy to lighten the more serious moments in Star Wars (later re-titled Star Wars: A New Hope.) Baker reprised the role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and later in the Star Wars prequels, albeit to a lesser extent since robotics and George Lucas’ love of all things CGI took hold. Despite Baker and Daniels playing beloved “droids” (a misinterpretation of the word android), the two never got on and enjoyed a frosty relationship stretching back to their first scenes in Tunisia back in 1976.
Bessemer (@Bessemerband) “Goodbye Kenny Baker, you brought the most fond part of my childhood to life, eternally grateful. #RIP2D2.”
Commenting on his passing, Baker’s niece, Abigail Shield, told the Guardian: “It was expected, but it’s sad nonetheless. He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. We’re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.”
Although Baker is strongly associated with Star Wars, he told the BBC a few years back that his own favorite screen role was the character Fidgit in Terry Gilliam’s 1981 movie Time Bandits.
Baker will be long remembered for his film work and the “feet” of his most famous role, R2-D2, are immortalized in concrete outside Graumann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
