Star Wars cast pay tribute to R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker

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Kenny Baker, the man who brought R2-D2 to life in the original Star Wars movies and prequels, has died aged 81. 

The 3ft 8in tall actor appeared in films like The Time Bandits The Elephant Man and Flash Gordon but will always be most well know for the little droid. He had reportedly been ill for some time and, speaking to The Guardian, his niece Abigail Shield said “It was expected, but it’s sad nonetheless" adding, "he had a very long and fulfilled life". 

While he had remained active on the convention circuit until recently he attended the London premier of The Force Awakens after illness prevented him from traveling to LA. This year it was revealed that actor Jimmy Vee would take his place in the upcoming Star Wars 8. 

Leon Hurley
Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.