Kenny Baker (English actor)
Kenny Baker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Baker at Star Wars Celebration VI in 2012 | |
| Born | Kenneth George Baker 24 August 1934 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 13 August 2016 (aged 81) Preston, Lancashire, England |
| Resting place | Lytham Park Cemetery & Crematorium, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, musician |
| Years active | 1960–2015 |
| Known for | R2-D2 in Star Wars |
| Height | 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) |
| Spouse |
Eileen Baker
(m. 1970; died 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
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
[edit]Baker was born and educated in Birmingham, Warwickshire, and at a boarding school in Kent. He was the son of Ethel (1906–1990), a pianist and dress maker, and Harold Baker (1908–1949), an artist, musician and draughtsman.[1] He went to live with his father, stepmother, and half-sister in Hastings, Sussex.
Due to his dwarfism, Baker stood 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) as an adult.[2] Both his parents were of average height.
Career
[edit]Beginnings
[edit]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 Minitones with entertainer Jack Purvis and played in nightclubs.[3]
Star Wars
[edit]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.[4] Baker recalled that he initially turned down the role,[3] concerned about breaking up the Minitones partnership when the duo had reached the final on the British television talent show Opportunity Knocks.[5]
Baker appears as R2-D2 in six of the episodic theatrical Star Wars films, and played an additional role in 1983's Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the ewok who steals an Imperial speeder bike. He was originally due to play the ewok named Wicket, but he fell ill and that role was handed over to Warwick Davis.
As technology grew and the need to have Baker in the suit decreased over time, he was used sporadically in the prequel trilogy. In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, he was used in just one scene.[6]
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. He was going to be a member of the cast, but he served as consultant for the character instead.[7] In November 2015, it was confirmed that Jimmy Vee was cast as R2-D2 in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, replacing Baker.[8][9]
Other work
[edit]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.
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.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Baker resided in Preston, Lancashire. 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.[3] Although Eileen also had dwarfism, their two children did not inherit their parents' dwarfism.[11]
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.[12] He had been living with a lung condition for years.[3] Instead, Baker attended the film's premiere in London.[13]
Death
[edit]Baker died on 13 August 2016.[3] His funeral was held at the Park Cemetery and Crematorium in Lytham St Annes on 24 August 2016.[14]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Circus of Horrors | Dwarf | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Man of the World | The Croat | Episode: "Specialist for the Kill", credited as Ken Baker |
| 1975 | Dave Allen at Large | Salesman | Season 4, Episode 36 |
| 1977 | Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope | R2-D2 | |
| Wombling Free | Bungo | ||
| 1980 | The Muppet Show | R2-D2 | Episode: "The Stars of Star Wars" |
| Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back | |||
| Flash Gordon | Dwarf | ||
| The Elephant Man | Plumed Dwarf | ||
| 1981 | Time Bandits | Fidgit | |
| The Goodies | Dwarf | Episode: "Snow White 2" | |
| 1982 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Pick Pocket | TV film |
| 1983 | Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | R2-D2, Paploo | |
| 1984 | The Adventure Game | HRH The Rangdo of Arg | Two episodes |
| Amadeus | Parody Commendatore | ||
| 1985 | Der Rosenkavalier | Baron Och's Retinue | TV film |
| 1986 | Mona Lisa | Brighton Busker | |
| Labyrinth | Goblin Corps | ||
| 1987 | Star Tours | R2-D2 | Short film, uncredited |
| Sleeping Beauty | Elf | ||
| 1988 | Willow | Nelwyn Band Member | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Dufflepud | TV special |
| 1990 | Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie | Invisible Demon | Episode 5 |
| 1992 | Casualty | Archie | Episode: "Act of Faith" |
| 1993 | U.F.O. | Giacomo Casanova | |
| 1999 | The King and I | Captain Orton | Voice, credited as Ken Baker |
| Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | R2-D2 | ||
| Boobs in the Wood | Bruce the Convict | Direct-to-video | |
| 2002 | 24 Hour Party People | Zookeeper | Uncredited |
| Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | R2-D2 | ||
| The Cage | Merlin | Short film | |
| 2003 | Swiss Toni | Guyler | Episode: "Cars Don't Make You Fat" |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | R2-D2 | |
| 2007 | Casualty | Charles Isaac | Episode: "The Miracle on Harry's Last Shift" |
| 2013 | One Night at the Aristo | The Bartender | Voice, short film |
| 2015 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | R2-D2 | Consultant and final film role |
References
[edit]- ^ Henry, David (13 August 2016). "Kenny Baker, R2-D2 Actor in 'Star Wars' Films, Dies at 81". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- ^ "The Man Inside R2D2 Lights Up an Opera". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 5 April 1985. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Sanchez, Ray (14 August 2016). "Kenny Baker, 'Star Wars' R2-D2 actor, dies". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ Arnold, Alan (1980), Once Upon A Galaxy: A Journal of The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, New York: Del Rey-Ballantine Books, pp. 124–127
- ^ Christian, Roger (2016). Cinema Alchemist. Titan Books. ISBN 9781785650857. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ Bouzereau, Laurent; Duncan, Judy (1999). The Making of Star Wars, Episode I – The Phantom Menace. LucasBooks.
- ^ "Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced". StarWars.com. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ Cameron K. McEwan (16 November 2015). "Doctor Who actor Jimmy Vee is the new R2-D2 in Star Wars Episode 8". Metro.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Little actor Jimmy Vee is Artoo-Detoo in Star Wars: Episode VIII?". makingstarwars.net. 16 September 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Kenny Baker – 'R2D2' in Star Wars – Signed Biography – 'From Tiny Acorns – The Kenny Baker Story' Autograph". writestuffautographs.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Ciaran Brown meets actor Kenny Baker". ciaranbrown.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "Kenny Baker, actor behind R2-D2, dies". The Guardian. 13 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ Rottenberg, Josh (13 August 2016). "Kenny Baker, 'Star Wars' actor who brought R2-D2 to life, dies at 81". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ^ "Stars attend Star Wars actor Kenny Baker's funeral". Lancashire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
External links
[edit]
- Kenny Baker at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1934 births
- 2016 deaths
- 20th-century English comedians
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English comedians
- Male actors with dwarfism
- Comedians from Birmingham, West Midlands
- Comedians from Lancashire
- English male comedians
- English male film actors
- English male television actors
- Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands
- Male actors from Preston, Lancashire
- British wheelchair users