Tony Dyson, the creator of "Star Wars" robot R2-D2, has died at his home in Malta. He was 68.
Neighbors alerted police when they hadn’t seen Dyson for several days, and
authorities found his body in his home, The Associated Press reported. Foul play isn’t suspected. A cause of death hasn’t been released pending an autopsy.
Dyson, who owned The White Horse Toy Company, built eight R2-D2 robots for the “Star Wars” film series and called the work
"one of the most exciting periods of my life," the BBC reported.
Conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie designed R2-D2, along with Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and C-3PO.
Dyson also worked on “Superman ll,” “Moonraker,” and “Dragon Slayer,” and directed the special effects filming of Hector the evil robot in “Saturn 3,” the BBC said.
Dyson lived in Malta since the early 1990s and recently had
taken part in the Malta Comic Convention, according to the Times of Malta.
In December, Dyson told the news outlet: "Be playful. Never stop playing. If you look at life the way it really should be – enjoyed – then you become very creative.”
Along with his work in filmmaking, Dyson made robots for electronic companies, including Sony, Philips, and Toshiba.
Twitter users shared condolences.
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