Oz never did give nothing to the tin man

BBC NEWS is reporting that Kenny Baker, the actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars movies, is recovering in hospital after a health crisis. I wish him a speedy and full recovery.
I'm surprised and puzzled. For one thing, I always thought R2-D2 was some kind of puppet manipulated by puppeteers off camera. Second, why would the same man be hired for all of the movies? It's not as if we could see his face or hear his voice. Anybody could have been in there, as long as he met the height requirement. Finally, is what Mr. Baker did really “acting”. Did he learn lines? Did he express himself facially or vocally? Wasn't he really just a stage hand moving a prop about a movie set?

There is something sad about the thought of someone hiding in a robot costume through six feature length films becoming famous, even though no one in the audience knows his face or voice. America's song about the tin man ends with the pathetic plea “So please believe in me.” More people believe in R2-D2 than believe in Kenny Baker.

Technorati Tags: film, pop culture, puppy, Star Wars