Lucas Pays Tribute To R2-D2’S Kenny Baker

Star Wars’ George Lucas and Mark Hamill are among the big names paying tribute to actor Kenny Baker, who has died aged 81, describing him as “the heart and soul of R2-D2”.
Baker made his name as the robot in the first Star Wars film in 1977 alongside Anthony Daniels’ C-3PO character.
Lucas said Baker was “a real gentleman” and Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, said he had lost “a lifelong friend”.
Born in Birmingham, Baker’s other films include Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.
Lucas said: “Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult 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.”
Writing on Twitter, Hamill said: “Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for!”
Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, tweeted: “Rest in peace Kenny Baker. It was a pleasure to meet you & thank you for all the joy you brought us.”
Chris Weitz, one of the screenwriters for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is due out this December, wrote the touching tribute: “RIP Kenny Baker. You made my childhood better, ” while Greg Grunberg, who played Snap Wexley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, simply added: “RIP ‘Star Wars’ Kenny Baker. So sad.”
Ant Man and Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright paid tribute by tweeting: “RIP R2D2. Farewell Fidget, Time Bandit. Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker.”
Game of Thrones star Daniel Portman, who plays squire Podrick Payne, added: “Met Kenny Baker multiple times, a real character and a man who will live on forever as one of Cinema’s great characters. Rest in Peace. X”
Star Wars set decorator Roger Christian, who created the first R2-D2, told BBC Radio 5 live about how Baker was very nearly not in the film.
The 3ft 8in (1.12m) actor was in a joint theatrical act called the Mini Tones with friend Jack Purvis, and the duo had just made the final of talent show Opportunity Knocks, so Baker left the Star Wars team.
“There was minor panic because there wasn’t anybody else who could make the scale right and if we didn’t have R2-D2 George didn’t have a film, Star Wars wouldn’t have been made,” Christian said.
Baker returned after the team agreed to employ Purvis as well.
Of the R2-D2 costume, Christian said: “Kenny was always complaining because it was difficult, it was so tight in there, we had to put rubber round him, foam rubber, and he couldn’t move it, he could kind of shake it a bit, but that was about it…
“I found a fighter pilot’s harness and we fitted that inside R2-D2 so Kenny could wear R2-D2 like a rucksack.
“And he actually stumbled forward about three steps and crashed over – we could hear him inside saying ‘let me out!’ But that was it.”
He added: “He would endure it for hours and hours he was a good sport… he would make jokes all the time.”