Editing Kenny Baker (English actor) (section)

== Career ==

=== Beginnings ===
In 1951, Baker was approached on the street by a woman who invited him to join [[John Lester (showman)|John Lester]]'s theatrical troupe of [[Dwarfism|little people]]. This was his first taste of show business. Later, he joined a [[circus]] for a brief time, learned to ice skate and appeared in many ice shows. He formed a successful comedy act called The Mini Tones with entertainer [[Jack Purvis (actor)|Jack Purvis]] and played in [[nightclub]]s.<ref name="CNN Sanchez" /><ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Kenny Baker, Star Wars R2-D2 actor, dies aged 81 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37072736 |access-date=19 December 2024 |publisher=BBC News |date=13 August 2016}}</ref>

=== ''Star Wars'' ===
While working with Purvis and the Minitones, Baker was selected by [[George Lucas]] to operate the robot ("droid") [[R2-D2]] in the fantasy feature film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', released in 1977.<ref>{{citation | last= Arnold| first= Alan| title= Once Upon A Galaxy: A Journal of The Making of The Empire Strikes Back| publisher= Del Rey-Ballantine Books| location= New York| year= 1980| pages= 124–127}}</ref> Baker recalled that he initially turned down the role,<ref name="CNN Sanchez">{{cite web| url= http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/13/entertainment/actor-kenny-baker-dies/| title= Kenny Baker, 'Star Wars' R2-D2 actor, dies| first= Ray| last= Sanchez| publisher= CNN| date= 14 August 2016| access-date= 21 September 2016| archivedate= 21 September 2016| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160921215907/http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/13/entertainment/actor-kenny-baker-dies| url-status= live}}</ref> concerned about breaking up the Minitones partnership when  the duo had reached the final on the British television talent show ''[[Opportunity Knocks (British TV series)|Opportunity Knocks]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Christian |first1=Roger |title=Cinema Alchemist |date=2016 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=9781785650857 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGL4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT36 |access-date=27 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Baker appears as R2-D2 in six of the episodic theatrical ''Star Wars'' films, and played an additional role in 1983's ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' as Paploo, the [[ewok]] who steals an Imperial [[speeder bike]].<ref name="obituary"/> He was originally due to play the ewok named [[Wicket W. Warrick|Wicket]], but he fell ill and that role was handed over to [[Warwick Davis]].

As technology grew and the need to have Baker in the suit decreased over time, he acted sporadically in the prequel trilogy. In ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'', he acted in just one scene.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bouzereau |first1=Laurent |last2=Duncan |first2=Judy |title=The Making of Star Wars, Episode I – The Phantom Menace |date=1999 |publisher=LucasBooks}}</ref>

Baker continued his Star Wars association with the R2-D2 character in ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'', which was released on 18 December 2015 in North America. He was going to be a member of the cast, but he served as consultant for the character instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announced.html|title=Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced|publisher=StarWars.com|date=29 April 2014|access-date=29 April 2014|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429172655/http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announced.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="obituary"/> In November 2015, it was confirmed that [[Jimmy Vee]] was cast as R2-D2 in ''[[Star Wars: The Last Jedi]]'', replacing Baker.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/16/doctor-who-actor-jimmy-vee-is-the-new-r2-d2-in-star-wars-episode-8-5505452/|title=Doctor Who actor Jimmy Vee is the new R2-D2 in Star Wars Episode 8|author=Cameron K. McEwan|work=Metro.co.uk|date=16 November 2015|access-date=22 December 2015|archivedate=1 June 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601063403/http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/16/doctor-who-actor-jimmy-vee-is-the-new-r2-d2-in-star-wars-episode-8-5505452/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://makingstarwars.net/2015/09/little-actor-jimmy-vee-is-artoo-detoo-in-star-wars-episode-viii/| title= Little actor Jimmy Vee is Artoo-Detoo in Star Wars: Episode VIII?| date= 16 September 2015| publisher= makingstarwars.net| access-date= 22 December 2015| archivedate= 22 December 2015| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20151222120440/http://makingstarwars.net/2015/09/little-actor-jimmy-vee-is-artoo-detoo-in-star-wars-episode-viii/| url-status= deviated}}</ref>

Baker attended several conventions as part of [[Star Wars Celebration]] as a guest. Celebration Europe III in July 2016 marked his last appearance at Celebration.

=== Other work ===
Baker's other films include ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'', ''[[Time Bandits]]'' (also with Jack Purvis), ''[[Willow (1988 film)|Willow]]'' (also with Purvis and Warwick Davis), ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]'', ''[[Amadeus (film)|Amadeus]]'' and [[Jim Henson]]'s ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]''.<ref name="obituary"/>

On television, he appeared in the British medical drama ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]''. He also had a part in the BBC production of ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia (TV series)|The Chronicles of Narnia]]''. In the late 1990s, Baker launched a brief comedy career. He played Casanova in the 1993 movie ''[[U.F.O. (1993 film)|UFO]].''

In November 2009, his biography, ''From Tiny Acorns: The Kenny Baker Story'', was written with Ken Mills and published by Writestuff Autographs.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.writestuffautographs.com/shop/products/kenny-baker-r2d2-star-wars-from-tiny-acorns-the-kenny-baker-story-genuine-signed-book-autograph-00029.htm| title= Kenny Baker – 'R2D2' in Star Wars – Signed Biography – 'From Tiny Acorns – The Kenny Baker Story' Autograph| publisher= writestuffautographs.com| access-date= 21 September 2016| archive-date= 1 December 2017| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033150/http://www.writestuffautographs.com/shop/products/kenny-baker-r2d2-star-wars-from-tiny-acorns-the-kenny-baker-story-genuine-signed-book-autograph-00029.htm| url-status= usurped}}</ref>