A British performer born in Birmingham, Kenny Baker earned cinematic immortality inside one of film's most beloved characters. Standing three feet eight inches tall, he operated and embodied the plucky droid R2-D2 across the original 'Star Wars' (1977), 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and beyond, including 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' (1999). He also appeared in Milos Forman's 'Amadeus' (1984). A cheerful, resilient entertainer whose physical performance gave personality to a wordless machine, remembered fondly by generations of fans until his death in 2016.
Kenny Baker
81 years (Aug 24, 1934 – Aug 13, 2016)Birmingham, England, UK
20 Movies3 Series
A British performer born in Birmingham, Kenny Baker earned cinematic immortality inside one of film's most beloved characters. Standing three feet eight inches tall, he operated and embodied the plucky droid R2-D2 across the original 'Star Wars' (1977), 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and beyond, including 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' (1999). He also appeared in Milos Forman's 'Amadeus' (1984). A cheerful, resilient entertainer whose physical performance gave personality to a wordless machine, remembered fondly by generations of fans until his death in 2016.
Kenneth George "Kenny" Baker (August 24, 1934 – August 13, 2016) was a British actor and musician, best known as the man inside R2-D2 in the popular Star Wars film series.