James Vee (born 3 February 1959) is a Scottish
actor, puppeteer and stunt performer. He is best known for playing a number of ''
Doctor Who''
monsters and aliens including
Bannakaffalatta in the 2007
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
special ''
Voyage of the Damned
''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, and Malcolm McDowell.
The story was inspired by actual events conce ...
'', as well as the
Graske in the
''Doctor Who'' spin-off series ''
The Sarah Jane Adventures
''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BB ...
''. He is also well known as the actor for
R2-D2
R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
in ''
Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', replacing the late
Kenny Baker, who died in August 2016.
Career
Vee started his career as a stunt double/performer for various small actors and extras in films such as ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers h ...
''.
Vee also starred as Cheeky the dwarf in the
King's Theatre, Glasgow adaptation of ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves''.
[
Vee originally auditioned for]