Kenny Baker (English actor)

Kenneth George Baker (24 August 1934 – 13 August 2016) was an English actor, comedian and musician. He portrayed the character R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise and also appeared in The Elephant Man, Time Bandits, Willow, Flash Gordon, Amadeus and Labyrinth.

Early life

Baker was born and educated in Birmingham, Warwickshire, and at a boarding school in Kent.<ref name="obituary">Template:Cite web</ref> He was the son of Ethel (1906–1990), a pianist and dress maker, and Harold Baker (1908–1949), an artist, musician and draughtsman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="obituary"/> He went to live with his father, stepmother, and half-sister in Hastings, Sussex.

Due to his dwarfism, Baker stood Template:Height as an adult.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both his parents were of average height.

Career

Beginnings

In 1951, Baker was approached on the street by a woman who invited him to join John Lester's theatrical troupe of little people. This was his first taste of show business. Later, he joined a circus for a brief time, learned to ice skate and appeared in many ice shows. He formed a successful comedy act called The Mini Tones with entertainer Jack Purvis and played in nightclubs.<ref name="CNN Sanchez" /><ref name="BBC">Template:Cite news</ref>

Star Wars

1977-1983: Star Wars original trilogy

Template:See also While working with Purvis and the Minitones, Baker was selected by George Lucas to operate the robot ("droid") R2-D2 in the fantasy feature film Star Wars, released in 1977.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Baker recalled that he initially turned down the role,<ref name="CNN Sanchez">Template:Cite web</ref> concerned about breaking up the Minitones partnership when the duo had reached the final on the British television talent show Opportunity Knocks.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On 22 March 1976, Baker's first day of filming took place at Tunisia which provided the setting for Tatooine.Template:Sfn He "wore a harness that secured the R2-D2 unit to his body"Template:Sfn and controlled turning the head, walk or light up whenever it was required.Template:Sfn A mechanical R2-D2 was built for some scenes which required the droid to roll along on three legs.Template:Sfn The success of Star Wars led to more films rounding out the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy which continued Baker's association with his character and the franchise.

Baker appears as R2-D2 in six of the episodic theatrical Star Wars films,Template:Efn and played an additional role in 1983's Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the ewok who steals an Imperial speeder bike.<ref name="obituary" /> He was originally due to play the ewok named Wicket, but he fell ill and that role was handed over to Warwick Davis. Baker was featured in the 2004 documentary film, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.

1997-2005: Star Wars prequel trilogy

Template:See also Prior to the beginning of filming on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 1997, fans campaigned on the Internet to retain Baker as R2-D2; George Lucas replied that the actor would reprise the role.Template:Sfn The film was released to cinemas in May 1999. Although reviews were initially mixed the film became the highest grossing film of 1999 and the highest-grossing Star Wars film at the time of its release. As technology grew and the need to have Baker in the suit decreased over time, he acted sporadically in the prequel trilogy. In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, he acted in just one scene.Template:SfnTemplate:Page needed By time the film was released to cinemas in May 2002, work had begun on the last film of the prequel trilogy.Template:Sfn On 23 April 2003, it was announced on the Star Wars website that Baker would reprise his role in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the last instalment of the prequel trilogy and last film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.Template:Sfn Two of his co-stars, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew from the original trilogy were also announced to be reprising their roles as C-3PO and Chewbacca respectively.Template:Sfn

2012-2016: Last Star Wars film, successor and last appearance

Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012, Baker continued his Star Wars association with the R2-D2 character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was released on 18 December 2015 in North America. It was the first live-action film to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and received positive reviews. He was going to be a member of the cast, but he served as consultant for the character instead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="obituary" /> In November 2015, it was confirmed that Jimmy Vee was cast as R2-D2 in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, replacing Baker.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Baker attended several conventions as part of Star Wars Celebration as a guest. Celebration Europe III in July 2016 marked his last appearance at Celebration.

Anthony Daniels said in his memoirs that Baker "adored his association with Star Wars and Artoo and the fans."Template:Sfn

Other work

Baker's other films include The Elephant Man, Time Bandits (also with Jack Purvis), Willow (also with Purvis and Warwick Davis), Flash Gordon, Amadeus and Jim Henson's Labyrinth.<ref name="obituary"/>

On television, he appeared in the British medical drama Casualty. He also had a part in the BBC production of The Chronicles of Narnia. In the late 1990s, Baker launched a brief comedy career. He played Casanova in the 1993 movie UFO.

In November 2009, his biography, From Tiny Acorns: The Kenny Baker Story, was written with Ken Mills and published by Writestuff Autographs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Baker resided in Preston, Lancashire.<ref name="BBC"/> He was married to actress Eileen Baker (who co-starred with him in the 1977 film Wombling Free) from 1970 until she died in 1993.<ref name="CNN Sanchez" /> Although Eileen also had dwarfism, their two children did not inherit their parents' dwarfism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Baker was invited to attend the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Los Angeles in December 2015, but was too ill to travel to the US.<ref name="guardian behind">Template:Cite web</ref> He had been living with a lung condition for years.<ref name="CNN Sanchez" /> Instead, Baker attended the film's premiere in London.<ref name= brought>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="pictures">Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

Baker died on 13 August 2016, 11 days shy of his 82nd birthday.<ref name="CNN Sanchez"/><ref name="obituary"/> His funeral was held at the Park Cemetery and Crematorium in Lytham St Annes on 24 August 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="obituary"/>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Tooltip
1960	Circus of Horrors	Dwarf	Uncredited
1977	Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope	R2-D2		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
	Wombling Free	Bungo
1980	Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back	R2-D2		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
	Flash Gordon	Dwarf		<ref name="guardian behind"/><ref name="appleTV">Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Sort	Plumed Dwarf		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
1981	Time Bandits	Fidgit		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
1983	Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi	R2-D2, Paploo		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
1984	Amadeus	Parody Commendatore		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="appleTV"/>
1986	Mona Lisa	Brighton Busker		<ref name="obituary"/>
	Labyrinth	Goblin Corps		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="appleTV"/>
1987	Star Tours	R2-D2	Short film, uncredited
	Sleeping Beauty	Elf		<ref name="appleTV"/>
1988	Willow	Nelwyn Band Member	Uncredited	<ref name="obituary"/>
1993	U.F.O.	Giacomo Casanova
1999	Template:Sort	Captain Orton	Voice, credited as Ken Baker
	Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace	R2-D2		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
2002	24 Hour Party People	Zookeeper	Uncredited
	Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones	R2-D2		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
	Template:Sort	Merlin	Short film
2005	Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith	R2-D2		<ref name="obituary"/><ref name="guardian behind"/>
2013	One Night at the Aristo	Template:Sort	Voice, short film
2015	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	R2-D2	Consultant	<ref name="obituary"/>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Tooltip
1962	Man of the World	Template:Sort	Episode: "Specialist for the Kill", credited as Ken Baker	<ref name="pictures"/>
1975	Dave Allen at Large	Salesman	Season 4, Episode 36
1980	Template:Sort	R2-D2	Episode: "The Stars of Star Wars"
1981	Template:Sort	Dwarf	Episode: "Snow White 2"
1982	Template:Sort	Pick Pocket	TV film
1984	Template:Sort	HRH The Rangdo of Arg	Two episodes
1985	Der Rosenkavalier	Baron Och's Retinue	TV film
1989	Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader	Dufflepud	TV special
1990	Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie	Invisible Demon	Episode 5
1991	The Paradise Club	Himself	Episode: "Family Favours"
1992	Casualty	Archie	Episode: "Act of Faith"
1999	Boobs in the Wood	Bruce the Convict	Direct-to-video
2003	Swiss Toni	Guyler	Episode: "Cars Don't Make You Fat"
2007	Casualty	Charles Isaac	Episode: "The Miracle on Harry's Last Shift"

References

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Print sources

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External links

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