Peter Mayhew, better known as Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker — the soul inside R2-D2 — were often contrasted by their size. Mayhew, at 7-foot-3, and Baker, at 3-foot-8, were arresting whenever they were photographed together, which was often, thanks to their roles in Star Wars. But, as Mayhew relates in his tribute to Baker, their differences brought them closer together
Baker died over the weekend, and while we heard a lot about his generous spirit and talent, Mayhew took to his personal website to relate how the seemingly odd couple were more alike on a personal level than you might have thought:
Kenny and I became fast friends the first time we met and formed a lifelong bond after realizing that we had so much in common. Although people liked to contrast the difference in our heights, we found we shared many of the same struggles, from finding clothes, driving cars, and fitting in airplane seats, to health issues and the ever-constant stares of strangers; we understood each other on a level that few others can.
Baker and Mayhew spent a lot of time together well after the original trilogy finished shooting. Both were fixtures on the convention circuit and often appeared together at Star Wars events. When the prequels began, Baker picked up his original role in the trilogy, while Mayhew reprised Chewbacca in Revenge Of The Sith. Mayhew is currently finishing Episode VIII, and we suspect it won’t be quite the same for anyone.
(Via Chewbacca.com)