Anthony Daniels—the man behind and inside C-3PO—is one of the most friendly and entertaining personalities of all the Star Wars cast members. He is also a Shakespearean stage actor and does some writing on the side. He is always happy to reprise his role as C-3PO for any cause and will most-likely be one of the very few actors who can claim to appear in every Star Wars film. I recently got the opportunity to chat with Anthony Daniels and asked him a few questions. (Original Posting: May 10, 2000)
In The Phantom Menace, what was your role on the set and how long were you there?
I stood by the camera saying the lines for the puppeteer to mime to. He got confused occasionally since George and I kept rewriting the script. It was a hefty object to carry around. I wasn’t envious of his job. I was wearing jeans and a shirt. Great! When I spoke my first line as C-3PO a crew member commented that “Finally Star Wars has arrived.” I felt quite good about that.
What were your initial feelings when you found out that C-3PO was actually built by the young Anakin Skywalker? Did George explain this to you at all?
Sir Alec Guinness kept me going during A New Hope and I will always remember his kindness and support. I couldn’t have finished the movie without his encouragement and praise. So I was rather pleased when George told me it was Anakin who created C-3PO. When I recovered from the shock I actually thought it was rather neat that I was made by Vader. At least he did something right…almost.
How did you like the film as a whole? Was there anything you’d change?
I would have given C-3PO a dressing robe. It’s no wonder he ends up so quirky. But hey, I’ve never done nude before—due to popular demand.
Are you a fan of Jar Jar Binks?
I could have a coffee break with him but I don’t think I could do a whole lunch. I just hope that Ahmed doesn’t feel personally attacked by the rather vicious reaction to Jar Jar. Ahmed’s a good chap.
How many countries will you personally be shooting in for Episode II?
I had a very expensive education in England. Consequently my knowledge of geography is minimal.
How long will filming go on and how long does looping usually last?
It will seem endless. Little known fact: it was called looping because cutting the film up into tiny pieces and then sticking it back together made the sound crew loopy. I think we call it ADR now. I did three sessions last time.
How does it feel to be working with your old partner in crime, Kenny Baker?
Always a pleasure to see Kenny. But most of the time I work with the radio controlled or static units. Either way, R2 never speaks to me during filming. It’s Ben Burtt who does all that good stuff, but long after I have gone home.
The Barbican exhibit is a huge success! What were your expectations like? (I heard you directed and produced this event!)
I was/am a Creative Consultant so watching it grow from an early discussion to mega installation over the months has been exhausting and inspiring. I was helping Lucasfilm and the Barbican curators to get it as good as possible within the budget constraints. Do you know how much one packing case costs!?! It was quite a team lead by Kathleen Holiday from Lucasfilm. It’s had a huge reaction and is now destined to travel the world. Great for me because it combined my skills as an actor with my consultative work in the exhibition industry.
How long did it take to organize and how big was your staff?
Two years in the making. The team was about 15. I was one of them. I made the coffee. Concept, availability of genuine artifacts, budget constraints, wall space, floor space, space, safety, interactivity, knowledge, consultation, planning, experience, common sense, coffee.
I heard recently that besides C-3PO, you played some droid extras in the first Star Wars film. I believe the then-unknown droid is now called CZ-3 and is seen for about 10 seconds in the film. How did you fall into this?
How quickly news travels. I only announced my secret career a few weeks ago. I didn’t fall into it but the suit was easier than 3PO’s since it had also been made to my body cast but bigger in the chest. There were plans to do a spin off series, CZ Goes Trucking, or something like that but he was too nervous. Yes, 10 seconds of fame. Well, it was a start I suppose.
There were some new pictures (from the “Lost Cut” of Star Wars) that depict you and Mark Hamill taking a rough ride in his Landspeeder while searching for that pesky R2. What do you remember about this lost scene?
It was rough!
In Return of the Jedi there was scene that was filmed on Jabba’s Sail Barge where C-3PO mediates an argument between two angry aliens. One of them knocks C-3PO aside.
There was a lot more that didn’t exactly further the plot. I think the dialogue was in Sluttoid.
Do you recall anything at all about a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi that involved Luke, R2, C-3PO and possibly some jawas that was to take place before the droids go to Jabba’s palace to deliver Luke’s message? It involved Luke placing his lightsaber in R2’s head.
I filmed the background to this in Death Valley just before the road to Jabba (the last scene we filmed). It was a tiny crew and George and me. It was the best time I had in all four movies. Mind you I had to swap my chocolate cake for George’s pink one. He doesn’t do pink. He cut the scene too. He didn’t like the cake.
I absolutely LOVE the “Wonder Column” you write for the Star Wars Insider. How did you become involved with that?
Thank you. They had an empty page. They asked if I could write. I said no. They must have thought I said yes. But I needed to take my brain out for a run anyway.
Will you be continuing the column?
Time will tell. The CD The New Improved Wonder Column in Space is an interim measure as folk were getting withdrawal symptoms.
Your memoirs are quite entertaining. Are you planning on writing a novel or biography?
What do you mean “quite entertaining?!” As for the rest, what would I write about?
Your appearance at the Star Wars Celebration was a Godsend. Thanks for that. Would you like to share your thoughts on the Celebration in general and what you’d like to see next time? Will you be there?
You exaggerate, but thank you. Sadly, the rain scuppered the rather careful preparations by the production team who also cared a lot about the fans. The only thing that kept them going was the great sense of affection that welled up from all the guests however drenched they were. Dan Madsen and his staff get my eternal admiration for putting on such a difficult but well received show. Me? I worried that people were so cold and wet. I’ve never been rained on whilst on stage. My shoes have never filled with water as they did when I walked amongst the audience. My other worry was getting people on and off stage on time. If you noticed the palms of my hands they were covered in blue ink—my schedule. I LOVED the audience. I felt the love coming back to me over the stage. Their enthusiasm kept me going but I slept for a week when I got back to London. With all the star guests we had I was nervous about the schedule I’d drawn up. What if X knew he was getting 5 minute less on stage than Y? No problem. A real set of stars who just joined in the fun. Not an ego in sight. About 20 people asked for their money back because of the rain. The rest became my friends. Sometimes I meet people who were there. We bond. It’s like a brotherhood-personhood. I would love to work on another Celebration. If your readers would love to join me there—indoors this time—they should tell Dan Madsen at the Insider and Jim Ward at Lucasfilm now so we can book the room.
Do you enjoy the convention circuit?
I love meeting the fans. They are the people who pay my wages, after all. But I’m not really involved in “the circuit.” For me, attending a convention is a professional engagement. I feel it’s quite a responsibility to represent these movies in the flesh(!) so I put considerable thought and effort into any appearance I make. It can sometimes be a strain to try to help a promoter put on a show rather than just provide a bunch of tables. My interest in the exhibition industry makes it uncomfortable to work in a shoddy environment. Some people just don’t understand but I think the fans deserve more than they often get. I hope people who have joined me at the Celebration and elsewhere have had a good time and understand what I’m trying to do for them. I could be at some event every weekend but I would become tired, boring, and jaded (see the brilliant Galaxy Quest). I appear at two or three a year. I try and choose well prepared events that might—and usually do—look after the fans as they deserve. DragonCon would be a fine example, but there are others. I’m not fond of the sort of production-line autograph-fodder sessions that are usually set up at these shows. That’s why you will often see me standing alone in a rather quieter spot so I can actually talk to each person who drifts by. I’m also sad and very concerned about the number of forged autographs there are out there and on the Web. Recently I asked eBay to remove three forgeries of my signature from their site. I also tell people that the only way to know it’s my autograph is to see me sign it for them. Other sites state that ICM in London is an address for my autograph. It’s not. I’m afraid that unsolicited mail probably vanishes into the ether. Then there are the conventions that advertise me as being a guest when they have never even contacted me. The first I know is when a fan asks me why I wasn’t somewhere. There’s nothing I can do about it. Sadly, the convention world has a number of sleazes working full time in it. That said, there are also some terrific and caring people who produce extremely worthwhile events. In any case, I just don’t like fans to be disappointed.
What’s your favorite Star Wars musical theme?
The baroque “Jabba’s Court” and “Duel of the Fates.”
Did you ever in a million years think that Star Wars would be this huge?
No. Honestly!
If you were in the golden suit and had to “relieve” yourself, what did that entail?
I’m not sure this is an appropriate place to discuss such matters. I think there are probably specialist websites that deal with bodily evacuations—if that is your particular interest. In my case, like our own dear Royal Family, I go before.
Did you ever get seriously injured because of the outfit?
Some nasty cuts and grazes in rather personal areas but there are probably websites for that too.
What can you tell me about the Star Wars Holiday Special? How long was the shoot? What was the general feeling on the set?
I did two days on it and as I was driven away I laughed so much they nearly redirected me to the local ER. The Wookiees kept treading on the stars, which smashed because they were only light bulbs really. LESSON: Never strew the floor with light bulbs! My favorite stage direction from the script: ‘The Wookiees enter, carrying their glowing globes in their hands.” I suspect there are websites concerned with getting your globes to glow and carrying them around.
How long were you a part of the Droids cartoons and did you enjoy doing them?
Years. Nice animation. Shame there was no money left for the scripts. Yes I enjoyed them.
Will you be doing any acting between Star Wars films?
Are you making offers?
Which film is your favorite and why?
A New Hope. Why not?
What kind of discussions about C-3PO did you have with Irvin Kershner and how did they differ from those you had with Lucas, Kurtz, or Marquand?
George never said anything once we started shooting but we’d been nattering for 6 months during the making of my suit. Of course he hated my performance and tried to re-voice it. Oh well. So yes, I had total input—in the end! Kersh was fab. Loved me so much he kept asking me to be in extra scenes. Sadly C-3PO didn’t always have enough to do to justify it, but I appreciated the complement. Richard Marquand died soon after Return of the Jedi. One should never speak ill of the dead.
How did they do that scene where you floated in the Ewok chair?
You weren’t concentrating were you? Mark used The Force.
Were you ever sick or missed a day on any set and another person had to fill in as 3PO?
I missed one 2 second shot but we all had stand-ins to do the boring bits. My first stand-in, Harriet, married into the Royal Family! (See above- re: bodily elimination, etc.)
If you could be a Star Wars character (besides 3PO) which would you want to be?
Anyone in clothes!
What’s 3PO’s defining moment?
Telling Solo he was to be the main course at a banquet given in C-3PO’s honor.
(Original Posting: May 10, 2000)