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Did Kenny Baker really 'play' R2-D2

T

TheLobes

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I watched a program where Justin Lee Collins tried to reunited the cast of Star Wars, and found out that Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels did not get along at all. Apparently Daniels did not treat Baker very well, and didnt consider Baker an actor.

Im sure Daniels could have been nicer, but I kind of agree about the acting thing. Kenny Baker didnt 'play' R2-D2, he was just inside him pushing the buttons. This doesnt seem to be a job that requires anything apart from being small enough to fit inside the model. I suppose the same goes for David Prose as Darth Vader and Peter Mayhew, but at least they had some influence on the character, especially in the case of Mayhew. Id certainly be annoyed if I was Daniels, and I had to see my name next to Baker's whenever I watched the credits.

What do other people think about this?
 
Sounds like Anthony Daniels is kind of an asshole. The guy has other acting credits that presumably didn't involve him being stuffed in a garbage can and 'pushing buttons'.

But hey, actors often are self-important twats. I think what bugs them is that literally anyone COULD act... granted, not necessarily that well. But, what was he doing that was so special anyway? He dressed up in a ridiculous golden suit and served as comic relief.

Seriously, who holds a grudge against a midget anyway?
 
R2 at times (Mainly when he was moving forward) was also just remote controlled, I think (This is especially true in the prequels, I think). And of course Ben Burtt made the sounds.


Funny thing is, Kenny Baker I think has the more impressive resume-Time Bandits etc. For Anthony, he's *still* playing C-3PO in practically anything Star Wars related. I was kind of dissiapointed in his Prequel C-3PO. His voice just didn't sound right for some reason....although it was kind of funny seeing him cameo outside the costume in AOTC.
 
I do remember some anniversary interview in which Baker himself said there wasn't a whole lot he could actually do inside there. Turn the head a little, rock from side to side a bit and that was pretty much about it. He did whatever he was instructed to do inside there. For scenes in which Artoo was rolling on his wheels, Baker wasn't in there, IIRC.

It could be a case that almost half the time we see Threepio and Artoo together, Daniels is acting off remote control Artoos without Baker.
 
Yoda said:
But, what was he doing that was so special anyway? He dressed up in a ridiculous golden suit and served as comic relief.
Click to expand...

Erm, acting? Adding to the character from the script?

Wookiepedia: 'Rather than play C-3PO as a used-car salesman [as originally intended], Daniels channeled the voice of a fussy British butler, feeling that it fit the character's personality. Lucas briefly considered casting another actor to provide the droid's voice, but was convinced by sound designer Ben Burtt, among others, that Daniels's vocal performance was an excellent one that he had synchronized well with his body motions.'

If another actor had played Threepio we would have a very different, and probably inferior, character. Pretty different from someone putting on a ridiculous golden suit and serving as comic relief, no?

As for the fact that Baker has done a lot more than Daniels, youve got to factor in the fact that its relatively easy for a midget actor to get parts, because theres so few of them. Theres loads of actors like Daniels, so its going to be a lot harder for him to get parts.
 
Well, Baker reported to the set, took direction and performed a major character (for the most part). Sounds like he "played" R2D2 to me.
 
TheLobes said:
I watched a program where Justin Lee Collins tried to reunited the cast of Star Wars, and found out that Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels did not get along at all. Apparently Daniels did not treat Baker very well, and didnt consider Baker an actor.

Im sure Daniels could have been nicer, but I kind of agree about the acting thing. Kenny Baker didnt 'play' R2-D2, he was just inside him pushing the buttons. This doesnt seem to be a job that requires anything apart from being small enough to fit inside the model. I suppose the same goes for David Prose as Darth Vader and Peter Mayhew, but at least they had some influence on the character, especially in the case of Mayhew. Id certainly be annoyed if I was Daniels, and I had to see my name next to Baker's whenever I watched the credits.

What do other people think about this?
Click to expand...

Well there was no acting involved for Artoo but he still sealed himself in the suit everyday and deserves respect for that at least. Especially since he sealed himself in a metal suit, in the summer, in Tunisia. :eek:

I know he didn't play Artoo in RotS. By that time they were finally able to create an Artoo robot that worked 99% of the time. That combined with the CGI Artoo rendered Baker superfluous to the production. GL did however still credit Baker for the part out of respect for his contributions to the series.
 
Interesting question.

When I really think about how the "animated" characters (the ones where you can't see the actor's face) came through as characters, I'd say Artoo and Vader are chiefly aural characters - the beeps and chirps for Artoo, and JEJ's excellent voice acting for Vader. Without JEJ, Vader would be just some guy stomping around and shaking his fist.

But Chewie was conveyed both through sound effects and gestures, so Mayhew gets credit for that. I'd call that 50/50.

Asshole or not, Daniels really did create the character of Threepio as much as any actor ever does.
 
Yoda said:
But hey, actors often are self-important twats. I think what bugs them is that literally anyone COULD act... granted, not necessarily that well.
Click to expand...

I agree that a disproportionately large percentage of actors are self-important twats, but that's not why. Literally anybody COULD perform any job... granted, not necessarily that well. That's not unique to the field of acting. Actors are often self-important twats because their insecurity is what leads them into a field that requires that they pretend to be someone other than themselves and get lots of positive public attention.
 
Did Kenny Baker really 'play' R2-D2
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Yes, absolutely.
And for those of you say he didn't, well then you'll also have exclude David Prowse, Anthony Daniels and anyone else who wore a costume in Star Wars.
 
The actor David Rappaport turned down the role because he didn't think the job was real acting. Of course he said he might have reconsidered if he knew then what he knows now because most of his compensation was to be a royalty percentage from the film.:rommie:
 
Admiral James Kirk said:
I know he didn't play Artoo in RotS. By that time they were finally able to create an Artoo robot that worked 99% of the time.
Click to expand...

I thought the ROTJ R2 wasn't Kenny either, he had a second role as an Ewok in that.

I attend several signings a year, Kenny is at most of them (and why not, it's his best income) but it does amuse me that many of the photos he signs of R2, Dave of Vader, even Jeremy of Boba, they aren't really in the costume. Most people would say it doesn't matter, it's their character.

But yes its largely an honourary credit post 1981. At least he never spoke out against George Lucas, he seems to respect loyalty. Which is why Jeremy Bulloch got a cameo in Sith and Dave Prowse was nowhere to be seen.
 
Capt_Pickirk said:
Did Kenny Baker really 'play' R2-D2
Click to expand...
Yes, absolutely.
And for those of you say he didn't, well then you'll also have exclude David Prowse, Anthony Daniels and anyone else who wore a costume in Star Wars.
Click to expand...

Guess you didnt read this:

Wookiepedia: 'Rather than play C-3PO as a used-car salesman [as originally intended], Daniels channeled the voice of a fussy British butler, feeling that it fit the character's personality. Lucas briefly considered casting another actor to provide the droid's voice, but was convinced by sound designer Ben Burtt, among others, that Daniels's vocal performance was an excellent one that he had synchronized well with his body motions.'

Anthony Daniels had a huge effect on the character of C3P0; they actually needed an actor to play that part. They didnt need an actor to play R2, they needed someone who could fit inside and push buttons. Baker had zero impact on the character, R2 would have been absolutely the same if there was another midget inside, or if it was a robot.
 
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