Press. voanews.com
Kenny Baker, the
diminutive actor who won worldwide fame as R2-D2, a beloved trash can-shaped
robot in the Star Wars movie franchise, has died just two weeks short of his
82nd birthday.
Baker's niece,
Abigail Shield, confirmed his death Saturday. She said he had suffered lung
problems for a long time. She noted to The Guardian newspaper that his
nonspeaking role in the enormously successful Star Wars franchise "brought
lots of happiness to people."
Baker's short
stature - only 106 centimeters - made him ideal for parts taller actors
couldn't play. He appeared in a number of science fiction and fantasy movies,
as well as the highly regarded films Amadeus and The Elephant Man. He did the
bulk of his film work in the 1980s.
Born in
Birmingham, England, in 1934, Baker said in his online biography that he had
not been expected to live long because of his disability. He credited a local
charity group with helping him learn to cope with his limitations during his
early years.
Baker's career
as a performer began at age 16 when he joined a troupe called "Burton
Lester's Midgets." His acts included roller-skating, playing drums, and
doing magic tricks and comedy routines.
In fact, decades
later, Baker said he preferred the term "performer" to
"actor." In the Star Wars films, encased in a cylindrical robot
costume that emitted only whistles and shrieks, Baker told The Associated Press
that his work boiled down to logistics: "I worked the levers," he
said.
Franchise fame
But, improbably,
the wordless robot became one of the most recognizable characters of the
franchise. Baker went on to play R2D2 in six Star Wars movies and had a screen
credit in the latest one, released in 2015. By then, his health had begun to
fail. He attended the London premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a
wheelchair.
Baker had two
sons with his wife, Eileen, who died in 1993. His latest post on his website
thanked his fans for their good wishes and noted that he had had a "fairly
quiet year" and enjoyed spending time in his garden.
Tributes to
Baker began appearing on social media soon after news of his death was
released. Former co-star Ewan McGregor tweeted, "It was lovely working
with Kenny."
Actor Mark
Hamill, one of the stars of the original Star Wars, praised Baker's optimism
and determination and called him "a lifelong, loyal friend." Hamill
also modified a famous Star Wars line in tribute, tweeting: "He WAS the
droid I was looking for!"
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