Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker was born in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom on August 24th, 1934 and is the Movie Actor. At the age of 81, Kenny Baker biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, movies, and networth are available.
At 81 years old, Kenny Baker has this physical status:
Kenneth George Baker (August 24, 1934 – August 13, 2016) was an English actor and musician.
He portrayed the character R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise and also appeared in The Elephant Man, Time Bandits, Willow, Flash Gordon, Amadeus and Labyrinth.
Early life
Baker was born and educated in Birmingham, Warwickshire, and at a boarding school in Kent. He was the son of Ethel (1906–1990), a pianist and dress maker, and Harold Baker (1908–1985), an artist, musician and draughtsman. He went to live with his father, stepmother and half-sister in Hastings, Sussex.
Although his parents were of average height, Baker stood 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) as an adult.
Personal life
Baker resided in Preston, Lancashire. He was married to actress Eileen Baker (who co-starred with him in the 1977 film Wombling Free) from 1970 until she died in 1993. Although Eileen also had dwarfism, this was not inherited by their two children.
Baker was invited to attend the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Los Angeles in December 2015, but was too ill to travel to the US. He had been living with a lung condition for years. Instead, Baker attended the film's premiere in London.
Career
Baker was approached on the streets by a woman who invited him to join a theatrical troupe of dwarfs and midgets in 1951. This was his first introduction to show business. He joined a circus for a brief time, learned to ice skate, and appeared in several ice shows. He formed the Minitones, a successful comedy act, and appeared in nightclubs. Jack Purvis, an entertainer, performed in nightclubs.
Baker was selected by George Lucas to command the robot ("droid") R2-D2 in the fantasy film Star Wars, which was released in 1977, while working with Purvis and the Minitones. Baker recalled that he initially turned down the role as a result of the Minitones' breakup when the pair met in the final on British television talent show Opportunity Knocks.
Baker appears as R2-D2 in six of the episodic Star Wars films, as well as in 1983's Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the Ewok who robs an Imperial speeder bike. He had intended to play Wicket but he was ill and Warwick Davis took over the lead.
Baker continued his role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was released in North America on December 18, 2015. He had intended to be a member of the cast, but instead he served as the character's consultant. Jimmy Vee was cast as R2-D2 in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in November 2015, replacing Baker.
He was used sporadically in the prequel trilogy as technology progressed and the desire to have Baker in the suit decreased over time. He was only used in one scene in Star Wars Episode II: Athens of the Clones.
The Elephant Man, Time Bandits (also with Jack Purvis), Willow (also with Purvis and Warwick Davis), Flash Gordon, Amadeus, and Jim Henson's Labyrinth are among Baker's films.
He appeared in the British medical drama Casualty on television. He was also involved in the making of The Chronicles of Narnia on BBC. Baker began a short comedy career in the late 1990s. In the 1993 film UFO, he appeared in Casanova.
Ken Mills' biography, From Tiny Acorns: The Kenny Baker Story, was published by Writestuff Autographs in November 2009.