‘R2-D2 took me over 12 months to make but I’ve had two strokes – that’s why I’m letting my props go’
A Star Wars legend is set for a new starring role – as the lead star at a Hull DIY store with a difference. This may not be the real R2-D2 that provided a costume for Kenny Baker in the original 1970s Star Wars series – but sci-fi superfan, model maker and actor Ricky Butler is famed for his replicas.
He spent more than a year building the model of the famous faithful droid so it could appear at the London premiere of The Rise of Skywalker in 2018, rubbing shoulders with its stars including Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker throughout the movie franchise. However, the 70-year-old actor has now parted with the replica – which he says has been his most prized creation – selling it to Hull shopkeeper Mani Singh, the owner of Cheap N Cheerful DIY, household, pet and garden store in Horseshoe Park.
Ricky – who has spent more than 50 years working in TV and film – told how he started his career building props for a Manchester production company, crafting lifelike props, including imitation red phone boxes for films and TV shows including Emmerdale. He began building his own collection of sci-fi projects after suffering a stroke during the pandemic lockdown.
He filled his garden with legendary characters from Daleks, his own Tardis and even the Time Lord’s robot dog companion K-9 – a model he hopes to reunite with former Doctor Who Tom Baker. Ricky even used a mobility scooter to create a working replica of the Davros chair, which has also been snapped up by the Hull shopkeeper.
Ricky revealed the bittersweet reason why he has parted with R2-D2, telling HullLive: “I’ve had two strokes, that’s why I’m letting all my props go. Because my garden looked like a Hollywood film set – Daleks, Tardises, phone boxes, R2-D2s, you name it. I’m actually building another Dalek in studio now though because I’ve got to keep my brain going, if you understand my meaning.
“R2-D2 took me over 12 months to make. I started it as soon as I was told about the film premiere in London. It’s absolutely full of electronics, and it’s fully remote controlled. It’s a double of the original. It costs thousands to make, with transmitters and receivers. There’s nearly two kilometres of wire in it!
“Actually at the premiere they all said ‘is that the original one?’. For the original one, Kenny Baker actually used to get inside it, but for later films they used motorised ones like mine.
“Yeah I am sad to see it go. Everything I build costs money, and I’m recovering from my last stroke in March. That’s why I’m packing in – I’ve not done any filming now for a year now.
“I’ve sold it to Mani Singh and he is very lucky because I do not usually sell my props to the public. But I knew that he would use it for a good cause and I know from experience that people love to see them. I’m going to go see Mani – I want to do a big charity do. The R2-D2 has been all over the country and helped to raise thousands for charities, so I’d like to see it raise some money for a Hull charity.”
Mani Singh said he’s preparing to give R2-D2 pride of place in his store, where he is known for entertaining customers by singing, dancing and dressing up in costumes from Tina Turner and Elton John to Darth Vader.
Mani added: “R2-D2 is fantastic. I’m a Star Wars fan – I grew up with it. I’m actually picking up a replica of C-3PO from someone else tomorrow, so he’ll have his buddy, he won’t be alone!
“Ricky is brilliant. I love the guy and I want to try and keep his legacy going.”
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