HBD2U R2-D2

I'd like to give a birthday "shout out" to Kenny Baker who was born on August 24, 1934.

Who is Kenny Baker? .. I'm glad you asked that question.

He is the 3'8" British actor who landed the role of R2-D2 in George Lucas' 1977 mega-hit, Star Wars and proved that "good things" really do "come in small packages" (there are exceptions, however .. roaches, ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and .. of course, a child during the 'terrible twos').

Baker's portrayal of R2-D2 gave us one of the few all-motorized (mechanical) human performances in film history (the others? .. any film staring Ben Affleck).

Once crammed into his robot costume, he was unable to move around and had to rely on sophisticated remote controls (Tivo??). When those didn't work, he had to be pulled around with nylon ropes (what a drag).

Also, the noisy computer controls on R2-D2's "tin can" were so loud Baker didn't even know when a take was over. Someone had to literally bang on his costume with a hammer to indicate the director had said "cut" ('Great take, Kenny! .. you really nailed that scene!').

It has been said that "there are no small parts .. only small actors" and that is certainly true.

Especially in the case of Kenny Baker.

I conclude today's post with a question for some of the Star Wars characters ...

Why did the chicken cross the road?

VADER: Because it could not resist the power of the Dark Side.

YODA: Crossing the road makes not a chicken great.

LUKE: I want to follow the ways of the chicken and cross the road like my father.

LEIA: I don't know... but I have a bad feeling about this.

HAN: Hurry up, Colonel Sanders, or you're gonna be a permanent resident!

THREEPIO: I am fluent in over six million ways of crossing the road.

R2-D2: beep beep be bop.

"Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there .." - II Kings 6:14a