5 little-known facts about Anthony Daniels in Star Wars

Anthony Daniels brought C-3PO to life with his portrayal of the anxiety-ridden droid. Here is a list of five things you might not know about him.

Actor Anthony Daniels is the only actor to appear in all nine of the Star Wars episodic films, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and the animated feature Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He’s a living legend that has accomplished something that nobody else has.

Over the last 40 years, his performances have been able to give new details to fans about the human-like droid. Discover five little-known facts about him below!

1. Attack of the Clones was hard to film for him

During the filming at the Lars Home, it was a completely different experience than last time, as it was shot during the summer, not winter. “This time I learnt that it was a good idea to wear factor-50 sun cream whilst I sat around the set,” he said in an interview on his website. “But it would have been a better idea to take it off before I put on the suit. I cannot describe the blinding pain, unless of course I used words like blinding pain, to describe the blinding pain I experience as the factor-50 combined with the perspiration flooding down my face and into my eyes as I cooked away inside my very personal oven!”

Although it may have been extreme conditions, he admitted that it was strange to be standing on the same spot where he first donned his droid attire 26 years prior. “The charms of Tunisia are such that I had not felt the need to return in the interim but it was easy to remember my first visit and ponder on the years between and what they have meant for me. I pondered for quite a while.”

2. He almost didn’t wear the suit in the latest trilogy

Daniels once again voiced the golden droid in The Force Awakens. However, according to reports, director J.J. Abrams almost had him voice the character while giving the costumed role to someone else. Luckily, he changed his mind. According to BBC News, the suit was 3D printed so he could have more mobility and overall comfort.

3. He turned down a meeting with George Lucas

Believe it or not, he actually didn’t believe that taking the role was a good idea. He actually turned down a meeting with LucasFilm’s George Lucas before reconsidering.

“Having spent three years at drama school, learning to be pretty much a stage actor and so on, I felt it was not appropriate,” he admitted. “I thought it was beneath me in my stupidity — and in my naivety — to take a role where I would be completely invisible as a human being, pretending to be a machine.” So what changed his mind? Artist Ralph McQuarrie’s concept painting, which “showed us a character that possibly had more human emotion written in his face than some of the human actors.”

4. The first time he watched The Rise of Skywalker he fell asleep

He was finishing promoting his memoir when he came down with laryngitis. Abrams invited the cast to a screening of the movie at his Los Angeles home.  “And [I] fell deeply, deeply asleep,” he confessed. “J.J.’s viewing theater is gorgeously comfortable, it’s just wonderful. Too comfortable — I was exhausted. Christine woke me up just before the end.”

5. His favorite role isn’t the films

Surprisingly, the films aren’t his favorite part of his job. One of his favorite parts of the job was touring in Star Wars: In Concert alongside composer John Williams.

The other favorite role is his voice acting for the Disney Parks ride Star Tours. “The editing on Star Tours is miraculous, and I’ve had such joy voicing sequences,” he told CNET. “The problem for me is usually Threepio is hysterical with fear, and it’s a hard voice to do full-on, for days. I have to be careful.”

What’s your favorite C-3PO moment in Star Wars? Let us know in the comments below. And for more facts about Star Wars actors, keep up with the Actors category on Dork Side of the Force!