Born on 24th August 1934 in Birmingham, Kenneth George “Kenny” Baker left us a decade ago on 13th August 2016, age 81. A staple of the convention scene and a friend to fandom for decades, his passing not only ended an iconic onscreen relationship, but left a hole in the hearts of countless Star Wars fans. Writing in Star Wars Insider #169, I was privileged to be given the opportunity by editor Jonathan Wilkins to write the magazine’s thank you and goodbye to Kenny, which you can read below.
Born Kenneth George Baker on August 24, 1934, in Solihull near Birmingham, England, his career as an entertainer began in 1951 at age 17 when he was invited to join a theatrical troupe. That led to a brief stint with the circus, and then a part in Snow White with Holiday On Ice—the first of many appearances on frozen water. Baker formed a close friendship with fellow little person Jack Purvis, and together the pair developed the Mini-Tones, a stage act they performed until Purvis’ death in November 1997.
Baker’s fi rst fi lm appearance was in the 1960 Hammer film Circus of Horrors, directed by Sidney Hayers. U.K. television appearances in Man of the World (1962) and Dave Allen at Large (1975) followed, before he was cast as R2-D2 in George Lucas’ original Star Wars movie (1977).
THE HEART OF R2-D2
Baker became famous for his role as the little astromech droid, despite never being seen on screen. Working inside R2 when internal movement was required, Baker imbued the prop with his own unmistakable character. When R2 was excited, that was Kenny. When he was sad, that was Kenny. Interviewed in 2005, he looked back fondly on his Star Wars experience:“It was an utter explosion around the world. Nothing like it had been seen before. All the merchandise, toys…It was crazy. Fan-mail was pouring in for everyone, and we were being asked for interviews all over the world. People really did take the two robots to their hearts, which was great for Anthony [Daniels, C-3PO] and me. In a sense, R2 really is the pace-keeper of the first movie.”
Baker continued to appear in other projects alongside his Star Wars work, including Wombling Free (1978), based on the popular children’s books by Elisabeth Beresford, in which he played Bungo alongside his wife, Eileen Baker, as Tobermory. Throughout the 1980s, he performed in high-profi le fi lm productions such as David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Time Bandits (1981, with Jack Purvis), Amadeus (1984), Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986), and Willow (1988, with Purvis and Warwick Davis). In the Star Wars galaxy, he first reprised his role as R2 in The Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978, before immortalizing the droid in cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and appearing on The Muppet Show alongside Star Wars co-stars Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew in 1980. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980) he brought R2 back to the big screen, and he also played a GONK droid (or power droid, if you please). The movie was his favorite, both as a fi lmmaking experience and as a chapter in the Star Wars saga.
“[Empire Strikes Back director] Irvin Kershner and I got on very well on set,” Baker recalled. “He was such a genuine, nice man. Obviously the first Star Wars had been massive, so we all knew this was something to be part of. Empire is the darkest chapter, with much more depth to the story and characters.”
The year 1983 saw Kenny in a dual role once again: back in action as R2, as well as stealing scenes and a speeder bike as heroic Ewok Paploo in Return of the Jedi. After Jedi, it was another four years before he climbed inside the astromech once again, to play R2 in the Star Tours theme park attraction. More than a decade later, he returned to the role three more times: in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.
By the time The Force Awakens started filming in 2014, Baker was not well enough to physically portray R2, so instead served as a consultant, sharing his decades of wisdom with the filmmakers. His final performance was in the 2013 short film One Night At The Aristo.
Kenny Baker was a convention staple, traveling the globe to attend shows in Europe, the United States, and beyond. His last appearance was at the London Film & Comic Con on July 31, 2016, where he signed autographs for his many fans.
SAYING GOODBYE
Since his passing, Kenny Baker’s colleagues have lined up to pay their respects. His friend of 40 years, Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), said: “Cherish the times of your life. Here’s to you Kenny Baker. The man I made so many memories with, swapped stories with, entertained with, and carried to his hotel room at the end of the night!”Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), tweeted, “Goodbye Kenny Baker. A lifelong loyal friend—I loved his optimism and determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for!”
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said, “We’re all saddened to learn of Kenny’s passing. There is no Star Wars without R2-D2, and Kenny defined who R2-D2 was and is. He will be greatly missed.”
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) recalled Baker’s love of meeting the fans. “He was an amazing person who only two weeks ago was greeting fans and signing autographs. We will all miss him greatly—what a superstar he was.”
Star Wars creator George Lucas also paid tribute: “Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under diffi cult circumstances. A talented vaudevillian who could always make everybody laugh, Kenny was truly the heart and soul of R2-D2 and will be missed by all his fans and everyone who knew him.”
Everyone at Star Wars Insider sends their condolences to Kenny’s family, colleagues, friends, and countless fans. He will be much missed but never forgotten.