Today, we all learned the sad news that British actor Kenny Baker has passed away.  He was 81 years old and had been ill for a long time, even missing the American premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens because he was too sick to travel.

Kenny Baker, who stood 3 feet and 8 inches tall, was best known for being the man inside of R2-D2.  When I was a kid, R2-D2 was always one of my favorite characters.  R2 and C-3PO were a wonderful comedy team and I have to admit that I was actually really sad when I first read that Baker and Anthony Daniels did not particularly like each other.

David Rappaport and Kenny Baker in Time Bandits

As popular as R2-D2 was, it was not the only role that Kenny Baker played.  For many filmgoers, Kenny Baker will always be Fidget, the nicest of the dwarves from Time Bandits.  (Fidget was reportedly based on Michael Palin, who is regularly described as being “the nice one” in Monty Python’s Flying Circus.)  My favorite Kenny Baker role was the character that he played in The Elephant Man.  Though the role may be a minor one, Baker makes an unforgettable impression.  Who can forget the scene where he frees John Merrick from imprisonment or his final words before a hooded Merrick boards the boat the will take him back to England: “Luck, my friend, luck. Who needs it more than we?”

Behind the scenes of The Elephant Man. Kenny Baker is standing in front of the cage.

RIP, Kenny Baker.