Star Wars R2-D2 actor Kenny dies

THE actor who played R2- D2 in the Star Wars films has died.

Kenny Baker passed away aged 83 after a long illness.

His niece, Abigail Shield, said the death was expected, “but sad, nonetheless”.

She said: “He had a very long and fulfilled life.

“He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was loved throughout the world.

“We’re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.”

She said: “He had problems with his lungs and was often in a wheelchair. He was very poorly for a long time.

“He was asked to go out to LA for the new Star Wars premiere but he was too ill to travel. Luckily he did manage to meet George Lucas again when he came to Manchester.”

Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, first played the robot character in Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977.

He continued in the role for the franchise’s next five films, and also starred in Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.

Last year the Birminghamborn actor told The Sunday Post how much he’d loved being part of the worldfamous sci-fi franchise.

He said: “I had six movies out of it and I still go along to the conventions.

“I’ ve been doing them for 25 years now, so there you go!”

As R2-D2, the former circus clown had his “footprints” captured in concrete on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

He was also a well- known face in his adopted home city of Preston, Lancashire.

When not out and about meeting Star Wars fans, one of his favourite hobbies was “enjoying the peace and tranquillity” of his garden.

Kenny started performing as a teenager in the 1950s when he joined a group called Burton Lester’s Midgets.

He also worked for Billy Smart’s Circus, was a DJ and toured the country in panto and ice shows before forming his own musical comedy act.

He also appeared as one of Ken Dodd’s Diddymen and met comedy giants Laurel and Hardy.

Born in 1934, he was told that he was unlikely to live through puberty. He was married to actress Eileen Baker who co-starred with him in the 1977 film Wombling Free.