Kenny Baker, the actor best known for his portrayal of R2D2 in the Star Wars films, died on August 13, 2016, after a long illness. He was born on August 24, 1934.
Born in Birmingham, England, Baker left school at 16 to join the performance troupe Burton Lester’s Midgets and was introduced to the Texan producer and impresario Lester, who gave him a part in the touring production. After touring for a number of years, he decided to audition for a role in Star Wars, and was hired by George Lucas.
Besides his role as R2 in the Star Wars films, he performed in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980), Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984) and Neil Jordan’s thriller Mona Lisa (1986), though it was the fantasy genre that provided his main source of employment: he can be glimpsed, partially obscured by heavy makeup or outlandish costumes, in Flash Gordon (1980), Labyrinth (1986) and Willow (1988). Sometimes he would even appear with his face uncovered, as he did in Terry Gilliam’s jolly fantasy Time Bandits (1981). He was warm and winning in that film as Fidgit, one of a band of dwarves who use their knowledge of the holes in the fabric of the universe to steal from the likes of Napoleon and Robin Hood.
His wife Eileen predeceased him in 1993. He is survived by their two sons, Christopher and Kevin.
Born in Birmingham, England, Baker left school at 16 to join the performance troupe Burton Lester’s Midgets and was introduced to the Texan producer and impresario Lester, who gave him a part in the touring production. After touring for a number of years, he decided to audition for a role in Star Wars, and was hired by George Lucas.
Besides his role as R2 in the Star Wars films, he performed in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980), Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984) and Neil Jordan’s thriller Mona Lisa (1986), though it was the fantasy genre that provided his main source of employment: he can be glimpsed, partially obscured by heavy makeup or outlandish costumes, in Flash Gordon (1980), Labyrinth (1986) and Willow (1988). Sometimes he would even appear with his face uncovered, as he did in Terry Gilliam’s jolly fantasy Time Bandits (1981). He was warm and winning in that film as Fidgit, one of a band of dwarves who use their knowledge of the holes in the fabric of the universe to steal from the likes of Napoleon and Robin Hood.
His wife Eileen predeceased him in 1993. He is survived by their two sons, Christopher and Kevin.
RSS Feed
