Tony Dyson, a British professor best known for his work building the original, beloved Star Wars robot R2-D2, passed away at 68 years old. The Emmy-nominated special effects supervisor was found dead in his home on the Maltese island of Gozo after friends contacted police with concern because he had not been seen for a few days.
R2-D2 made its debut in George Lucas' 1977 film "Star Wars: A New Hope," the first of the long-running sci-fi franchise. The droid would go on to become one of the most beloved characters in the saga as the sidekick to both Luke and Anakin and best friend of fellow droid C-3PO.
An investigation into Dyson's death is underway, but police do not suspect any foul play even though Dyson's door was open when police found him. It is believed that he died of natural causes.
Ralph McQuarrie designed R2-D2, C-3PO, Darth Vader and Chewbacca for "Star Wars: A New Hope," and Dyson was commissioned to build R2-D2. He opened up about his experience with the now iconic robot on his website.
"We were given just five months to complete the project, and I can honestly say it was one of the most exciting periods of my life," Dyson wrote.
In 2003, R2-D2 was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame at Carnegie Mellon University.
A former owner of the White Horse Toy Company, Dyson also worked on special effects for the 1980 film "Superman II," created 35 feet of human intestines made out of latex for a scene featuring Ken Russell in the 1980 sci-fi thriller "Altered States," and designed 36 spacemen for the 1979 James Bond film "Moonraker." Dyson, who recently attended Malta Comic Con, has also given speeches at events, conferences, conventions and exhibits about his involvement in building R2-D2.
In an interview with a local newspaper last December, Dyson spoke about his love for creating and shared some words of wisdom about his philosophy on life.
"Be playful. Never stop playing," Dyson said. "If you look at life the way it really should be - enjoyed - then you become very creative."
