Following the sad passing of Kenny Baker last year, Lucasfilm has now officially announced that Jimmy Vee will be taking over the iconic role of R2-D2 for December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Vee, who also worked uncredited on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released a statement which reads: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside the legendary Kenny Baker. Kenny was a fantastic actor and taught me all the ‘tricks’ on how he brought R2-D2 to life which I will continue to portray in his honor. I’m so excited to be a part of the Star Wars universe and can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on for the last year.
We're thrilled to announce that #OhSoSmall actor @RealJimmyVee is the new #R2D2!
Full story here: https://t.co/eR2OKAdDR4#StarWars pic.twitter.com/FT1IAWno8I
— Oh So Small (@OhSoSmall) February 13, 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for release on December 15th 2017 and sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb), Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt), and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) and Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us).
Originally published February 14, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
