Star Wars: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Empire Strikes Back
3. Eight R2-D2s Were Made For The Movie
A staggering eight different versions of R2-D2 were used throughout the film: two were lighter and more padded for actor Kenny Baker to fit inside, while there were three "dummy" versions which could be damaged if need be, and another three which were remotely controlled for locomotion.
This seemingly excessive number of R2 units was due to numerous issues the production had on A New Hope with the original aluminium models in terms of movement and comfort.
Empire's R2-D2 units were instead made out of fiberglass, and by all accounts made this aspect of the production far less of a headache for both Baker and the crew.