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Actor Kenny Baker, Star Wars' R2-D2, dies aged 81

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Alice RITCHIE, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/entertainment/8/14/081416_kenny.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Kenny Baker who plays R2 D2 arrives at the European Premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens in Leicester Square, London, December 16, 2015<em>. Photo by Paul Hackett, Reuters</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>LONDON, United Kingdom -- Kenny Baker, the British actor who starred as plucky robot R2-D2 in the &quot;Star Wars&quot; movies, died on Saturday at the age of 81, his agent and relatives said.</p><p>&quot;Kenny Baker has sadly passed away and was found on Saturday morning by his nephew Drew, who was also his carer in the latter part of his life,&quot; his agent Johnny Mans said in a statement to AFP.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today we lost a dear friend. We’ll miss you, Kenny Baker. <a href="https://t.co/Z020FtLQpP">https://t.co/Z020FtLQpP</a> <a href="https://t.co/xDHvUurUgv">pic.twitter.com/xDHvUurUgv</a></p>— Star Wars (@starwars) <a href="https://twitter.com/starwars/status/764567962330292224">August 13, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="~//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><p>He said he had been ill for some time, adding: &quot;Kenny was truly a great friend, one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet and a fabulous and talented performer.&quot;</p><p>Baker&#x27;s nephew, Drew Myerscough, told local media his uncle had suffered respiratory problems for almost a decade.</p><p>Baker, who measured just one metre tall (three foot, eight inches), played the resourceful droid known for his whistles and beeps in 1977&#x27;s &quot;Star Wars&quot; and in the five following movies.</p><p>Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the first three films, paid tribute to a &quot;lifelong loyal friend&quot;.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Goodbye <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KennyBaker?src=hash">#KennyBaker</a> A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism &amp; determination He WAS the droid I was looking for! <a href="https://t.co/rd94OEYaHi">pic.twitter.com/rd94OEYaHi</a></p>— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) <a href="https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/764532827001991168">August 13, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="~//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><p>&quot;I loved his optimism &amp; determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for!&quot; he wrote on Twitter, posting old black and white photos of them together.</p><p>20th Century Fox posted a photograph of Baker&#x27;s character and his on-screen sidekick C3PO, saying: &quot;Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2.&quot;</p><p>A wheelchair-bound Baker attended the European premiere in London of last year&#x27;s &quot;Star Wars: The Force Awakens&quot;, in which he received a mention in the credits.</p><p>&quot;Unfortunately he was too ill to be part of the new Star Wars films,&quot; his niece Abigail Shield told Sky News television. &quot;But he was consulted by certain people.&quot;</p><p>- &#x27;Loved throughout the world&#x27; -</p><p>She had earlier told The Guardian newspaper: &quot;He brought lots of happiness to people and we&#x27;ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.&quot;</p><p>British actor Ewan McGregor, who starred in the three Star Wars prequels, wrote on Twitter: &quot;So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny.&quot;</p><p>The latest instalment of the franchise, &quot;Rogue One: A Star Wars Story&quot;, is due out in December.</p><p>According to his official website, Kenny was born in Birmingham on August 24, 1934. He began performing at the age of 16 with a troupe called &quot;Burton Lester&#x27;s Midgets&quot;.</p><p>As well as &quot;Star Wars&quot;, he starred in cult movies from the 1980s such as &quot;Time Bandits&quot; and &quot;Flash Gordon&quot;.</p><div><strong>© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>LONDON, United Kingdom -- Kenny Baker, the British actor who starred as plucky robot R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" movies, died on Saturday at the age of 81, his agent and relatives said.</p>

LONDON, United Kingdom -- Kenny Baker, the British actor who starred as plucky robot R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" movies, died on Saturday at the age of 81, his agent and relatives said.

Actor Kenny Baker, Star Wars' R2-D2, dies aged 81

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Actor Kenny Baker, Star Wars' R2-D2, dies aged 81

Alice RITCHIE,

Agence France-Presse

Published Aug 14, 2016 09:51 AM PHT

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Star Wars

R2-D2

Kenny Baker

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