Kenneth George Baker was born on the 24th August 1934, in Birmingham, England, and was an actor, probably best recognized for starring in the role of R2-D2 in the “Star Wars” franchise. His career was active from the early 1960s to 2015, when he passed away.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Kenny Baker was? According to authoritative sources, it was estimated that the total size of Kenny’s net worth was over $2 million, accumulated through his successful career in the entertainment industry as a professional actor. Another source came from selling his autobiographical book “From Tiny Acorns: The Kenny Baker Story” (2009).
Kenny Baker Net Worth $2 Million
Kenny Baker was the only child of Ethel, who was a well-known pianist and dress maker, and Harold G. Baker, who was a musician and artist. He spent his childhood in his hometown, where he attended elementary school, after which he moved to Kent, and was enrolled at boarding school. When his parents divorced, he went to live with his father in Hastings, Sussex. Although his parents were of average height, he stood just 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) tall.
Prior to beginning of his professional acting career, Kenny was a member of a theatrical troupe of dwarves and midgets, and parallel with that, he was also a member of a circus. Bright and talented, he co-formed the comedy act Minitones together with Jack Purvis, and soon after, he was spotted by George Lucas, who selected him for the role of R2-D2 in the first film of the “Star Wars” franchise in 1977, named “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”. In the following years, he repeated his role in “The Star Wars Holiday Special” (1978), “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”, “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983), in which he starred as Paploo as well. All of these helped him to make a name for himself, and increased his net worth by a large margin, as he appeared in six “Star Wars” films.
Beside “Star Wars”, Kenny appeared in other TV and film titles, such as “The Elephant Man” (1980) playing Plumed Dwarf, “Time Bandits” (1981) as Fidgit, and “Mona Lisa” (1986) in the role of Brighton Busker. In 1989, he was chosen to portray Dufflepud in the TV series “Prince Caspian And The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader”, and in 1993 he starred as Casanova in the film “U.F.O.”, adding a lot to his net worth. To speak further of his accomplishments, Kenny also made appearances in such titles as “The King And I” (1999), “The Cage” (2002), and “The Battersea Ripper” (2006).
When it comes to speak about his personal life, Kenny Baker was married to actress Eileen Baker (1970-1993), with whom he had two children. Neither of their children inherits their dwarfism. Kenny died after a brief illness at the age of 81 on the 13th August 2016 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
