He will be greatly missed.
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“He WAS the droid I was looking for!” wrote Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, about his “lifelong loyal friend” Baker, who played R2-D2.
Kenny Baker first rose to celebrity in 1977 when, according to Quartz, he was hired to be the actor inside the R2-D2 costume in Star Wars.
Baker reprised his role as R2-D2 in episodes V and VI, as well as the three “Star Wars” prequel movies – a franchise that employed his talents through 2005’s “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”. “And when he was in good health years ago, we travelled a lot”. McGregor also came forward on twitter with his condolences. “It was lovely working with Kenny”.
Boba Fett actor Daniel Logan said: “So sad to hear one of my dearest friends passed away”. The role had no lines – the character’s signature beeps and boops were not voiced by Mr. Baker – and, seated inside the robot, he never showed his face. “Love you. Will miss you!” Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker.
Dozens of stars outside the Star Wars universe also tweeted their condolence, such as director Kevin Smith.
Filmmaker Edgar Wright wrote on his Twitter account: ‘RIP R2D2.
– KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith)May the force be with you, Kenny Baker.
Mr. Baker’s agent, Johnny Mans, confirmed the death. He said Baker was “one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet, and a fabulous and talented performer”.
But, improbably, the wordless robot became one of the most recognizable characters of the franchise.
“I seen grown women cry simply because they’d met him”, he said.
Baker is also known for appearances in beloved 80s films like Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.
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“He was very ill for the last few years, so we had been expecting it”, Baker’s niece, Abigail Shield, told the Guardian. “He had a very long and fulfilled life”, she told The Guardian. She proudly stated that the family was “very proud at what he achieved in his lifetime”.
