Anthony Daniels Interview From the Lucasfilm Fan Club Issue #1 - Remembering That Galaxy Far, Far Away

I have been reading through all the back issues of the Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine, Bantha Tracks, and Star Wars Insider, so in new recurring features I am going to trawl through the back issues of old Star Wars magazines looking for interesting interviews from time gone by to share. To start with, I thought I would share this great interview with Anthony Daniels that I read in Lucasfilm Fan Club issue #1, which has some really interesting parts to it. I had never realized or thought about how C-3PO doesn't breathe, and so he would have to do the script in one go without breathing, or how him and Mark Hamill would drive to set ripping into each other’s lines on the first movie, not having any idea the success it would bring.



I have copied the text out of the images so it’s easier to read for you all, but we are only sharing, and all credit is to the Lucasfilm Fan Club and its interviewers.







STAR WARS REPORT | EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | ANTHONY DANIELS



Remembering That Galaxy Far, Far Away, by Dan Madsen and John S. Davis







It is a typical Tuesday morning in Northern California. Relaxing in his hotel room after a long flight in from England the previous day, Anthony Daniels is ironing his clothes and speaking Japanese. It is soon discovered that Daniels is not preparing for a vacation in Asia, but rather for a television commercial using some of the Star Wars characters for the Japanese market.

Daniels is no stranger to the field of television commercials. He has appeared as 3PO in numerous spots and one, in particular, which he is most proud of, that he wrote himself.

Before his success as C-3PO in Star Wars, Daniels dreamed of being an actor on the stage. As a child, he was motivated by the talented performers he saw at the local theatre.

For the past decade, Daniels has been identified as C-3PO all around the world. However, now, looking back, he recalls vividly his first impressions upon receiving the role as Star Wars' gold-plated robot:

Upon being notified he had won the role; Daniels had to sit down and decide how he was going to approach the part. After all, portraying a robot is not the kind of role most actors have years of experience in playing.

Another enduring element of C-3PO is his very proper British accent. Although Anthony Daniels is from Britain, and therefore has a natural accent, the voice of 3PO was not Daniels' natural speaking voice. He contends that, once inside the costume, 3PO's personality and speech patterns took over:

On film, 3PO may have been on the brink of disaster on numerous occasions, but for Daniels, every second spent inside that golden, metallic costume felt very much like being doomed.

Daniels is a modest man. While many people believe the successful portrayal of 3PO was due, in large part, to the talented actor inside the suit, the actor himself does not wholeheartedly embrace the opinion.

Although one would think that just about everyone at one time or another has heard of Star Wars, there are still a few, as Daniels relates, that don't know anything about the popular space saga:

Before Star Wars opened, many people thought it would be a modest little film, not something people would go crazy over. Then the merchandising bonanza hit full force and Star Wars was everywhere. This was a surprise, but it was also expected should the film be highly successful. What no one foresaw, however, was the film's successful adaptation to radio, which is something Daniel remembers fondly:

In addition to his vocal work in the radio version of Star Wars, Daniels has also used the voice of 3PO in other ventures as well, such as Star Tours at Disneyland:

After having hundreds of millions of people seeing the Star Wars projects Daniels has been involved with, he still admits that, even today, most people still don't recognize him or his voice when they meet him in person:

Recently, however, Daniels attended an event where just about everyone knew who he was. Over 5,000 fans converged on Los Angeles last May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Star Wars. And Daniels was one of the prime attractions of the three-day extravaganza.

Seeing new Star Wars films was certainly one of the major topics of discussion during that memorable weekend. Fans enjoyed talking about what they thought might happen in future films and waited in anticipation for an announcement that there would be a new film about that galaxy far, far away. When and if the Star Wars films should continue, George Lucas has said that he will go back to the first trilogy, chapters 1 thru 3, before Luke, Han, and Leia were even born. However, continuing throughout all the films will be the familiar figures of 3PO and R2. If the saga continues, does Daniels feel the old magic can be recaptured?







'I'm quite sure it can... I think that in the second and third films, we slightly began to lose the innocence. I think that once you've shown the direction that perhaps isn't so good you can always go back to the first part and follow it again. I think what is delightful for the audience is a kind of common language that they know this environment in which we make these films. And although you wouldn't have Harrison Ford or the others there, they would still know the kind of problems and dangers that might exist and the kind of adventures that might happen. I think the audience would be delighted by the sort of twists that George would give it. So I don't think there would be any problems but it's a heck of a responsibility for George because I'm sure if he ever continues the films that he wants to make sure they're done right.'



If the films continue, and should 3PO be in them, are there any changes or additions to the character that Daniels would like to see added?

After spending ten years of his life involved with Star Wars, Daniels has many fond memories. But when asked to recall his best memory from the making of each film, the actor has no problem recalling his favorite experiences:

Very few films have had the international appeal and impact of Star Wars. The three films have been a critical and popular success all over the world. Many have tried to pin down the elements that made Star Wars so successful. But as Anthony Daniels explains, trying to find the reason for its success is like finding a needle in a haystack:

Ever since taking on his role in Star Wars, Daniels life has changed dramatically. Not only has he been able to appear on the silver screen to entertain millions and millions of theatregoers, he has also been able to take his character from the Star Wars films and perform in other related productions as well. Still, Daniels is a modest man. Even his most prized possession, reminder of his involvement in the Star Wars saga, is a simple one, and to some, it may even seem trivial.

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