Littlest Star Wars hero: actor who played original R2-D2 dies
BY SHAUN MILNE
ACTOR Kenny Baker, best loved for his role as Star Wars droid hero R2-D2, has died at the age of 81. The father of two, originally from Birmingham, had been suffering from ill-health in recent years and was cared for by family in Preston.
His niece Abigail Shield said last night: “It was expected, but sad nonetheless. He had a very fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. We’re all very proud of what h e achieved.”
Actor Ewan McGregor, who starred in three films as Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, also led tributes to the 3ft 8ins actor, tweeting: “So sorry to hear this. It was lovely working with Kenny.”
The studio that released the origi- nal films, 20th Century Fox, posted a photograph of C-3PO standing next to Baker’s Star Wars character, and wrote: “Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2.”
Baker found fame in 1977 in the first Star Wars film and reprised the role in subsequent films in the hit franchise in The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi and their three prequels.
Last year, he received a credit in Star Wars: The Force Awakens on which he acted as consultant and attended the European premiere in a wheelchair.
He previously also appeared in Flash Gordon, Time Bandits and Mona Lisa.
His agent Johnny Mans said he was with Baker just over a year ago at a charity event at Buckingham Palace, where they met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. “Kenny was truly a great friend, one of the nicest guys you could which raised £10,400 after a separate fundraising drive. This produced some content but also failed.
The community interest company behind the Scottish Evening News – News Scotland – was dissolved in April and never filed any accounts.
Speaking to the Sunday Herald, Foster said of the project: “It never happened in the end.”
Asked about those who had donated, he said: “We certainly never had any complaints from people who paid into it.”
Foster, who said he believed around £9,000 was spent on salaries, also released a statement to this newspaper that was sent to donors after the project folded.
It stated: “We proceeded to spend a total of four months attempting to raise funds for the Scottish Evening News, sadly unsuccessfully.
“There are many reasons as to why we failed to raise the money, but the bottom line is that it was always extremely ambitious (we estimate that start-up costs alone would have exceeded £2 million).
“£37,700 may sound like a lot, but once you take into account Indiegogo fees, four months’ office rent and wages for three people (over and above filming a series of pilots), it’s actually not very much.”
Scott said of News Scotland being dissolved: “We, technically, had a fairly disastrous financial time. It was very difficult to run.”
Glasgow MSP Kelly called for full transparency: “The individuals behind this venture should publish detailed accounts of what this money was spent on.” ever wish to meet and a fabulous and talented performer. My wife and family will miss him terribly, and I will never forget the laughs we shared over the years. He was a one-off.
“There will never be another Kenny Baker. He will be sadly missed.”
Baker was married to wife Eileen who died in 1993, and had two children. They met on TV chat show Parkinson.
In the films, R2-D2 was an astromech droid who, along with a so-called protocol droid C-3PO played by Anthony R2-D2, played by British actor Kenny Baker, and C-3PO, played by US actor Anthony Daniels, were the unlikely hit double act of the original Star Wars films Daniels, became unlikely anchors and narrators of the saga. He once described sitting in costume as being like a “boiled egg”.
Until his ill-health, believed to be lung-related, he was a regular on the scifi circuit attending conventions around the world. In a recent interview, Baker said: “It’s all I live on now. I’m not making a fortune but I’m bouncing along. I’ve got a nice Rolls-Royce, a nice bungalow and I’ve got a girlfriend I first went out with in the 1960s.
“I’m the happiest dwarf in Europe.”