ANAHEIM, Calif.– When asked by interviewer James Arnold Taylor at “Star Wars: Celebration” what his least favorite piece of C-3PO merchandise was, Anthony Daniels, who has played the neurotic droid in all six “Star Wars” films to date and will reprise the role in the upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the British actor replied without hesitation.
“Has anybody see the scotch tape dispenser? For those who havent seen it…imagine a ceramic thing…with Threepio in a, how you say, interesting position?” After demonstrating the position, prone, with legs spread in the air, a fan in the audience was able to present Daniels with the item within minutes.
This set the tone for Daniels’ continued interactions with the audience, which showed Daniels is a much more animated beig than his robotic counterpart.
“I have a funny question, why are you carrying around…I mean, I know “Star Wars” fans are strange…”
The interview touched upon all aspects of Daniels’ (and Threepio’s) career, which has extended beyond the movies to television shows, commrcials, concerts, and even a Christmas album: “It’s what every family needs, the holiday soundtrack… I flew to New York and recorded all day. Then…it came out.”
Life as See-Threepio has not always been easy, from being crammed into a suit with limited motion (“When sand gets in there…and I mean gets in THERE…”) to being practically blind.
Daniels described one incident while making the prequels: “I turn around and they say ‘action,’ and suddenly I began to feel as though I was fallling into a giant bowl of C-3P0s [breakfast cereal].”
Despite the trials and tribulations of both Daniels and Threepio, he confirmed that he is still excited to be playing the character again in “The Force Awakens.”
“I was blown away by the sets…I mean the fact that there are sets at all,” he says, alluding to the fact that the the last three “Star Wars” films were largely shot in front of of green screens with sets digitally added later. “It was the real “Star Wars”. It felt like so may years ago back on “Return of the Jedi” [in 1983].
Daniels, 69, confirmed for a fan that the suit has not become any more comfortable over the years, saying, “The bits in gold are hard to get and very expensive. I, on the other hand, am always available and very, very cheap.”
Still, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“J.J. [Abrams, director of “Star Wars:The Force Awakens”] said…’Would you like to do just the voice?’ and I said ‘no.’ And he said, ‘Quite right.'”
