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Saturday, August 13, 2016

Remembering R2D2

Kenny Baker as R2D2
Rest in peace
By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Kenny Baker, the man who played R2D2 in the Star Wars film franchise, has died. He was 81 years old and had been battling a long illness. Baker brought the lovable droid to life in the first six Star Wars movies. Beyond that he was a regular at conventions around the world.

Hanging with an inflatable R2 at Force Awakens
R2D2 and C3PO were always together in the movies. They were a couple of my favorite characters and as a kid I had several versions of both, including the R2 with the extendable antenna. I'd spend hours on end playing with my Star Wars action figures for several years. 


No doubt R2D2 is one of the franchise's most iconic and popular characters. I recently had a chance to interview a member of the St. Louis R2 Builders Group. This group is a part of the international organization and does exactly what the title implies. They build droids from the ground up. The creations are amazing. They've even made R2s for charity auctions and often taken them to children's hospitals to cheer up the patients.




As the world mourns the loss of Mr. Baker, there's comfort in knowing a character he helped bring to life will live on for generations to come. Rest in peace.


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