Star Wars’ Kenny Baker Dead at 81

The man beneath the dome; Kenny Baker, has died following a long battle with illness. The actor who played the lovable R2-D2 was found dead in his home early on Saturday morning. Baker starred in six Star Wars movies, having shot to fame with the release of A New Hope in 1977 and reprising his role in prequel trilogy. Outside of Star Wars, Baker appeared in many classic 80s films such as Willow, Labyrinth and Flash Gordon. Baker’s illness prevented him from reprising his role as R2-D2 in last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but he continued to be involved as a consultant.

Baker was a regular on the convention scene and was always happy to meet fans. In recent years, his illness had prevented him from travelling. His death did not come as a surprise to his family, who noted that he had “a long and fulfilled life”. Standing only 3ft 8in tall, Kenny Baker proved that a small man could have a huge impact on people’s lives. He will, undoubtedly, be missed and is survived by his two children.

Update: We initially reported that Kenny Baker died at aged 83. His official website notes he was 81. We apologise for the error.

Gary Moloney
Gary Moloney
Some would say that he is a mine of information, too bad most of it is useless. You can read his own comic work over on garymoloney.tumblr.com. Follow him on Twitter @m_gearoid.