Kenny Baker was already an accomplished circus and cabaret performer when he took the role of R2-D2 in the 1977 sci-fi film Star Wars. His height won him the part: at 3'8" tall, Baker was small enough to fit inside the tiny robot. The film was a hit and director George Lucas went on to make a series of sequels; Baker and Anthony Daniels, who plays robot C-3P0, are the only actors to appear in all six Star Wars films to date. (Baker also doubled as a furry Ewok in 1983's The Return of the Jedi.) Baker's other films include Time Bandits (1981) and the Jim Henson film Labyrinth (1986, with Jennifer Connelly). He also has a long-running cabaret act with entertainer Jack Purvis.

Extra credit: As R2-D2, Baker himself is never seen and his voice is not used in the role... Baker is no relation to the British trumpeter Kenny Baker.