How Star Wars actors’ careers have changed through the decades

4. Anthony Daniels

If you’re a Star Wars trivia nerd, you’ll likely already know one thing about the longevity of Anthony Daniels’ career: he’s the only Star Wars actor to appear in every Star Wars film. But what has the overall arc of Daniels’ career been?

Before landing Star Wars, Daniels worked in theater and had two small television roles. He was not versed in science fiction or even a fan of it, but his physicality and vocal performance brought fan-favorite droid C-3PO to life, garnering Daniels’  legions of fans for years to come.

Shortly after making A New Hope, Daniels worked on the original The Lord of the Rings cartoon adaptation, voicing the character of Legolas and beginning a lifelong career of voice acting work.

While he worked in British television for a few years after the original trilogy wrapped, Daniels had already cemented himself in the public imagination as C-3PO outside of the films themselves, appearing as C-3PO in the short-lived series Star Wars: Droids, but also guest-starring as C-3PO on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and even Robot Chicken.

Unlike many Star Wars actors who have only played their characters in the main canon of films, Daniels has reprised the role across multiple different platforms and projects like video games, cartoons, audiobooks, and more, having fully embraced the success of the Star Wars franchise and the fans fully embracing him in return.