It was a sad weekend for Star Wars fans as Kenny Baker, the British actor who played R2-D2, passed away after a long illness. At 3 ft 8 in tall, he was the man inside the droid, helping to bring the beloved character’s personality to life without the benefit of dialogue or facial expressions. Baker also appeared in many other science-fiction and fantasy movies over the years including Time Bandits, Flash Gordon, Labyrinth and Willow not to mention such acclaimed movies as The Elephant Man, Amadeus and Mona Lisa. He was 81 years old.

Baker got his start as a circus and comedy performer before George Lucas recruited him for Star Wars in 1976. Baker appears in all six of the original Star Wars films, although in the prequels his involvement was reduced in favour of CG models. He also had a small role in Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the Ewok who steals a speeder bike. He did not appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens due to health issues, although he is credited as a consultant (the role was taken over by Jimmy Vee). His contribution to Star Wars cannot be overlooked and he will definitely be missed by fans. What are your favourite Kenny Baker performances?