Kenny Baker, actor who portrayed R2-D2, dead at 81.

[Kobuk]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/13/entertainment/actor-kenny-baker-dies/index.html

 

[Chipper Blu-wolf]

You know I read about this, and I thought I knew a good amount about Star Wars, but I never knew this guy actually was in the character outfit. I thought it was an animatronic robot like you see at Disney world or something!

[Kobuk]

You know I read about this, and I thought I knew a good amount about Star Wars, but I never knew this guy actually was in the character outfit. I thought it was an animatronic robot like you see at Disney world or something!

Actually, there were two versions of R2-D2: One version that had Kenny Baker inside controling various aspects of the droid model, and a second completely motorised/robotic R2 unit (That didn't have Kenny Baker in it.) that was radio controlled by special effects people. The scenes in Star Wars films and/or the locations used for filming would determine which version was used.

[Iara Warriorfeather]

How sad!