# Question about C3PO and R2D2 Robotics or Midgets?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 3, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495 "2003-02-03T14:28:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/1 "2003-02-03T14:28:58Z")
I have a quick question about R2D2. Was he a model that GL (Geaorge Lucas) created with minimal robotic ranges like moving back and forth up, down, some lights here and there. Or was R2 more of an advanced scooter with a midget at the controls. I am mildly kidding about the little person, I am basically inquiring as to how they got the little guy to move around in the desert. His wheels didn’t look exceptionally large. Also mind you I am talking about Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back/ Return of the Jedi not the computer marvals of the new millennium…[I know you all are smart enough to figure that out but there’s always a smartass]
As for C3P0, anyone know the actors name?
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### Author:  [@PRNYouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRNYouth)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/2 "2003-02-03T14:54:06Z")
Not sure about R2D2, but the actor inside C3PO is [Anthony Daniels](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Daniels,+Anthony). He provides the voice as well.
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### Author:  [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/3 "2003-02-03T14:56:15Z")
C-3PO was played by a human - [Anthony Daniels](http://www.us.imdb.com/Name?Daniels,%20Anthony).
If I remember correctly, R2-D2 was basically just a remote controlled (or pre-programmed) “robot” that followed a list of instructions from scene to scene.
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### Author:  [@PRNYouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRNYouth)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/4 "2003-02-03T15:02:47Z")
Ah, just checked on the R2D2 thing. Apparently, he is sometimes a remote-controlled robot and other times there is a little person actor inside him. That actor is [Kenny Baker](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Baker,+Kenny+(I)). On [this](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/1340/behind.html) page, you can click to some pictures from behind-the-scenes, including one of Kenny Baker inside the R2D2 costume, eating a sandwich.
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### Author:  [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/5 "2003-02-03T15:04:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by PRNYouth \*
> \*\*Ah, just checked on the R2D2 thing. Apparently, he is sometimes a remote-controlled robot and other times there is a little person actor inside him. That actor is [Kenny Baker](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Baker,+Kenny+(I)). On [this](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/1340/behind.html) page, you can click to some pictures from behind-the-scenes, including one of Kenny Baker inside the R2D2 costume, eating a sandwich. \*\*
Obviously, I did not remember correctly.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/6 "2003-02-03T15:18:56Z")
I heard that GL was thinking about making R2D2 completely CGI/Robot for AOTC. KB was upset and and told the fans to complain so as to pressure GL. He won. Sorry, no cite.
I hope KB is in Episode 3. That he and AD will have been in all SW movies.
Brian
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/7 "2003-02-03T15:23:10Z")
Face it, R2 is the hero of the darn series, anyhow. He makes everything important possible.
He’s also the best actor in Phantom Menace.
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### Author:  [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/8 "2003-02-03T15:41:39Z")
Around the time of the pre-release hype for episode 1, Rolling Stone did an article about some of the filming, and they made mention that Kenny Baker would sometimes be smoking pot between takes while inside R2. I found this really funny for no good reason.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/9 "2003-02-03T22:52:43Z")
Like any movie with special effects, different effects are needed in different shots. Sometimes it’s robotics, sometimes it’s an actor, sometimes it’s a puppet, and in the newer movies, sometimes it’s CG.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-c3po-and-r2d2-robotics-or-midgets/152495/10 "2003-02-03T23:05:40Z")
I often use Anthony Daniels as a trivia question answer. According to [the-numbers](http://www.the-numbers.com/people/records/index.html) his average box office per movie is a record $358,748,894.