Kenny Baker, actor behind R2-D2, dies

The 3ft 8in actor, who starred in six Star Wars films as well as Time Bandits and Flash Gordon, was 83

The British actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has died at the age of 83 after a long illness.

Kenny Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, shot to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character.

He went on to play the character in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as the three Star Wars prequels from 1999 to 2005.

Baker also appeared in a number of other much-loved films in the 1980s, including The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.

Read morehttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/13/kenny-baker-r2-d2-dies-star-wars?CMP=twt_gu