R2-D2 Was A Big Pain In The Butt On Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
R2-D2 is a curious character in "Star Wars" lore. It's a three-foot-tall trashcan-shaped high-tech utility knife on wheels, most often used as a navigational computer (it can be plugged into the navigational systems of small spacecraft), and only communicating using a series of beeps and computerized chirping noises. Other characters talk to R2-D2 as if it's a human being, and indeed, some of its computer language sounds a little bit like a human voice, but one might be able to question if R2-D2 possesses consciousness.
R2's sounds were provided by long-term "Star Wars" sound designer and editor Ben Burtt, and in multiple "Star Wars" films, actor Kenny Baker operated R2's moving parts from within. The human touch leads many to rest assured that R2 is indeed a conscious being with feelings and memories beyond mere computational storage. R2's consciousness was reinforced in the 1985 animated TV series "Droids," which featured R2-D2 as one of its main characters. Because the series was animated, R2 was now far more expressive and active than he had been in the films, revealing a great deal of personality and even a sense of humor.
Prior to "Droids," however, audiences had to witness the messy and ambivalently adored "Return of the Jedi," Richard Marquand's 1983 epic that wrapped up the story begun in 1977's "Star Wars." In that film, R2-D2 appeared opposite the other live-action human and droid characters, and the filmmakers had to undergo a great deal of animatronic rigor to realize the character; Kenny Baker wasn't always inside. Back in 2013, on the 40th anniversary of "Return of the Jedi," Den of Geek published a vintage interview with Marquand (who passed in 1987) about making the movie, and he recalled filming the animatronic R2 was a pain in the neck.
'R2-D2 was the worst'
Marquand was quick to clarify that working with Kenny Baker was a wonderful experience, and when he had a human actor puppeteering R2's servos and rotating head, everything went fine. It was when the filmmakers employed a remote-controlled version of R2 that Marquand started to have difficulties. He also didn't like that R2's voice wouldn't be dubbed until the post-production process. On set, actors merely had to pause and then act like they heard R2 speaking. This didn't make for a very organic shooting process. Marquand said:
"R2-D2 was the worst. He's a pain. When there's a man in it, it's great. [...] There you are, trusting what you're going to do in post-production. Post-production on R2-D2 is very important, because Ben Burtt adds all those signals and sounds. So you know you're going for some kind of comedy thing, but you're not quite sure exactly how it's going to be."
Marquand was playful, however, talking about R2-D2 as if he was a prima donna actor. In actuality, it seems that the mechanical devices operating the R2 puppet didn't always work, giving the director a simulation of a pissy actor refusing to do their job. He said:
"When R2-D2 is running just on his electronics, he's a beast. He's the most rude and ill-behaved actor you've ever worked with in your whole life. He would just turn around and walk out of the door. I love him, though, because he's so good in the end."
Baker, who passed in 2016, operated R2-D2 in seven "Star Wars" features, as well as on "The Muppet Show" and for the Disneyland ride "Star Tours." His human touch was valued.