Kenny Baker

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Kenny left boarding school at the age of 16 -- when he felt the call of the stage, beckoning him to a life in show business.

He toured for three years, playing nearly every variety theater in the UK as a member of Burton Lester's Midgets. Moving on, he became a DJ for the Mecca Organization, then joined Billy Smart's Circus as a clown and shadow Ringmaster.

For the next nine years, he worked in pantomime (in music halls) and on ice shows. The latter events gave Kenny the chance to meet the Queen herself! After leaving the ice, he formed a musical comedy act: The Mini Tones.

All that exposure led, inevitably, to work on the big screen. And although Kenny is best known for his performances as the lovable (and dependable) R2-D2 in the Star Wars trilogy, he has done literally dozens of other films, including Time Bandits, Amadeus, The Elephant Man, Mona Lisa, Labyrinth and, also for George Lucas, Willow.

"The world is my oyster," says Kenny. "So let's get out there and eat it!"

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