Anthony Daniels, the Man Behind C-3PO, Talks About the New 'Star Wars' Movie and More

Daniels and director George Lucas on the Tatooine set of Star Wars

You might not know Anthony Daniels’s face, but you certainly know his voice. Since 1977, when a young director named George Lucas brought Star Wars to the world, Daniels has played the famously fussy protocol droid C-3PO — in fact, he and Kenny Baker (who plays R2-D2) hold the distinction of being the only Star Wars actors to appear in all six movies.

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In a far-ranging interview he recently gave to EW.com, the 68-year-old actor shares his experiences playing the comic-relief robot in multiple mediums (including TV shows, radio plays, and video games) — and even talks, ever so briefly, about his role in the hugely anticipated Star Wars: Episodes VII.

Among the tidbits about the new movie: That director J.J. Abrams called Daniels up to ask if he would do just the voice of C-3PO this time around. "I said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘Right!’ He knew I’d say that," says Daniels, who definitely did not like how the CG-rendered droid looked when filmmakers used computer animation in the prequel trilogy. He also says that his gold shell got an upgrade. "I will tell you that the team then got together and built a new suit,” Daniels says. “They made an entirely new look-a-like with changes that you will never notice [on screen] that made my life a lot easier. I can get it on and off very quickly.”  

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Daniels also looks back and adds more details to treasured Star Wars lore, including his oft-told tale about being drawn into taking the role only after he saw a pre-production drawing of C-3PO. He also recounts the difficulty of acting opposite a silent R2-D2 (whose beeps and chirps were added months later) — “I actually wrote out his dialogue on the pages so I could then get the whole scene in my head.” He also reveals how he was able to persuade (the also famously fussy) Lucas to let him deviate from the script, and shares his least favorite C-3PO line: “Curse my metal body! I wasn’t fast enough!”

Kenny Baker (who plays R2-D2) and Daniels share a quite moment

The Q+A — which also includes “the most interesting question” Daniels has ever been asked — is essential reading for any Star Wars fan.

Star Wars: Episode VII opens in theaters on Dec. 18, 2015

Photo credits: Everett, 20th Century Fox