Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 11 Star Wars films, from Star Wars (1977) to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He wore the costume and voiced his character in the films and several animated television series. He has been involved in many of their spin-offs, including television series, video games, and radio serials. His other roles included CZ-3 in Star Wars, Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story and more. Daniels also portrayed C-3PO in several commercials, non-canon films, including The Lego Movie, and non-canon television shows, including The Muppet Show. Outside the films, he has narrated and hosted some documentaries (starting off with the 1977 television special, The Making of Star Wars and later Science of Star Wars). Daniels (as C-3PO) has also narrated some documentaries retelling the films. He has hosted several events, including Star Wars: In Concert, since 2009. Daniels has recounted the challenges he faced while filming Star Wars in Tunisia in several documentaries, including Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. His involvement in the franchise and association with his character from meeting film director George Lucas in November 1975 to wrapping up on The Rise of Skywalker has been detailed in his 2019 memoirs, I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story.
Prior to his involvement in the franchise, Daniels appeared in several theatrical productions, including Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He voiced Legolas in Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (1978). He has appeared intermittently on British television in various dramas, including playing a pathologist in Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren and Colonel Donald Humphries in Holby City. Daniels was an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center.
Early life
1946–1975: Education and theatre
Daniels was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, the son of a plastics company executive. He worked with Paul Blake, a future co-star in Star Wars, on his first television job. Daniels appeared in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. In December 1975, Harrison Ford was ultimately cast as the character. Daniels took part in the play at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus, a week before he flew from London to Djerba to begin filming Star Wars. He was a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company performing in several of their productions and speaks fluent French.
On 14 November 1975, whilst working in the theatre and appearing in a Young Vic production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, he was invited to meet director George Lucas in Soho Square, who was casting for Star Wars. Daniels at first turned down the interview but was persuaded by his agent to meet Lucas. Daniels has said that before his role in Star Wars, the only science fiction film he had ever seen in a theatre was 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968; he was so displeased with the film that he walked out after ten minutes and demanded his money back. After Daniels was cast as , Lucas recommended that he watch the film in its entirety to study HAL 9000's voice. In a 2011 interview, Daniels said that he now regards 2001 as a masterpiece and that he also enjoys post-apocalyptic films such as Mad Max. In his 2019 memoirs, he praised the film and said HAL "made a lasting impression" on him.
Career
Star Wars
1975–1976: Beginnings - Bringing C-3PO to life and filming
thumb|Daniels has portrayed his character in 11 films from 1977's Star Wars to 2019's The Rise of Skywalker
In November 1975, after auditioning for the role of C-3PO, Daniels only became fully interested in it after seeing a concept design of the golden droid C-3PO (named C-3 in an early draft) by Ralph McQuarrie; he was moved by the character's forlorn expression. The process of making the costume and Daniels' fittings took six months. Brian Muir sculpted finishing work on the full suit including the hand plates. He said, "There was no time to get a plaster cast of Anthony Daniels' hands so I had the unusual job of sculpting directly onto the back of his hands during the lunch break." Prior to filming, Daniels wore the complete costume only once during a test in England. Daniels filmed his first scenes at the Lars homestead and they also featured Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Kenny Baker inside R2-D2, Phil Brown as Uncle Owen and several Jawa extras. He flew over to America to record his dialogue in a studio for the finished film across three days. Daniels later saw Dreyfuss at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978 noting that he "seemed to have got over any disappointment" he might have experienced not voicing C-3PO.
The release of Star Wars, the first film in the series and fourth chapter of the Skywalker saga, took place in 1977 and received positive reviews. Daniels saw the film at a crew screening in the Dominion Theatre. On 3 August 1977, He wore the costume and added C-3PO's name, hand and footprint in the concrete forecourt at Mann's Chinese Theatre and later requested to add his name. A remote-controlled R2-D2 and Darth Vader (Kermit Eller) were also there. Daniels narrated and hosted a television special, The Making of Star Wars, the first documentary of the franchise in West Hollywood, California. The television special featured new footage of Daniels as C-3PO and R2-D2 in a starship control room set. Some of the cast members including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were interviewed about their involvement in the film but Daniels was not. Following that Daniels and Peter Mayhew reprised their roles in the Donny & Marie Star Wars Special. Both television specials were broadcast in September 1977.
Daniels was later interviewed about his involvement in a 2004 documentary film and shared his memories of McQuarrie's painting as well as the difficulties of his costume in Tunisia. 25 years after the film's release and in an archival interview appearing in a 2007 article, Daniels praised Sir Alec Guinness for his kindness and for helping him get through the challenges he faced during the Tunisia shoot. In the 2002 article, he said, "I firmly believe that I wouldn't have completed that arduous task of shooting without him." In his 2019 memoirs, Daniels described Guinness as "the most generous, gentle host". Guinness spoke praise of Daniels' acting to other people on set. Long before working with Guinness, Daniels watched his performances in The Ladykillers and Lawrence of Arabia.
Jesse Kornbluth of New Times made numerous references to C-3PO and Paul Scanlon of Rolling Stone said that the droids "practically steal the film" however they made no references to Daniels. Daniels was depressed with his lack of recognition after the film's successful release; he attributes this to Lucasfilm wanting audiences to believe that the droids were real and not actors in costumes. In the same year, he told BBC Radio 5 Live that he felt "rejected, redacted and ignored" when he was left out of the publicity of the first film. On the other hand, in a 2009 article appearing in Star Wars Insider, he said while his character "is known throughout the world" but he is not, being inside a full-body costume allowed him to have privacy.
Daniels' involvement in the film was finally acknowledged when he discovered a Trivial Pursuit card asking what part he played in Star Wars. Daniels later acknowledged the audience's enthusiasm for the franchise in his memoirs saying that without them, "A New Hope would have been the beginning - and the end." The success and cultural impact of Star Wars launched a multimedia franchise, leading to further sequels rounding out the original trilogy, another two trilogies, two standalone films, re-releases, television shows, documentaries, commercials, radio series, video games, concerts, conventions, exhibitions, events, a theme park ride and themed plane which continued Daniels' association for the next decades. When discussing The Force Awakens, he said it was George Lucas' ideas that Star Wars was not the first page of the story and that used and broken down characters would indicate they have back stories. Future filmmaker, J. J. Abrams would reuse these ideas in The Force Awakens.
1978–1983: Sequels, television and commercials
In 1978, Mark Hamill, Daniels (as C-3PO) and R2-D2 presented Special Sound Oscars for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars at the 50th Academy Awards. Daniels appeared in the live-action segments of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, set between the events of Star Wars and the yet to be released sequel. The TV special was broadcast only once, on CBS TV on 17 November 1978. It received negative reviews however, it eventually became a cult classic among Star Wars fans - when bootleg recordings were uploaded to the internet. In 1980, Daniels made a guest appearance as C-3PO in The Muppet Show, The Stars of Star Wars; the crossover episode also starred Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca and R2-D2. They filmed scenes at ATV Studios in January 1980. Following that Daniels joined the cast of Sesame Street. Filming lasted a week and he said, "I had the most memorable time.". His favourite scene was when C-3PO tries to explain to R2-D2 that his "new short girlfriend" is actually "a fire hydrant." On 29 April 1980, Daniels (as C-3PO) attended John Williams' first concert as official conductor of the Boston Pops orchestra. He later added a photograph of his character "below his own photograph in his passport" when he made more appearances as C-3PO abroad.
Daniels starred in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, the second theatrically released film in the series. It was the highest grossing film of the year and is regarded as the best film in the series even following numerous re-releases and a reassessment. It is also considered by the audience to be the most significant chapter in the Skywalker saga. His costume was less uncomfortable and this time it consisted of 11 parts instead of 20. The assistant art director Fred Hole and his team made the costume more flexible allowing more freedom of movement. Initially, Daniels was hesitant about reprising his role however, he eventually agreed to return for a higher salary and "had grown fond of" his character. The confinements of the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon made filming difficult for Daniels, Ford, Fisher and Mayhew. He said that C-3PO is "not a hero, but he does have functions that are spoken of and which the movie should use." Daniels also said that he 'felt [his character] had humanity.' New members of the cast included Billy Dee Williams and Daniels described him as a "seasoned and charismatic actor".
Daniels' involvement in the film was acknowledged when his name was included on the poster. He was included in the publicity events in Los Angeles however, his illness forced him to miss the premiere screening at the Kennedy Center, Washington on 17 May 1980. A week later, Daniels returned to London. In the same year, he wrote a Star Wars themed anti-smoking public service announcement; the PSA featured C-3PO and R2-D2 warning children about the negative effects of smoking. Daniels also appeared in a Star Wars Underoos commercial and television movie documentary, The Making of 'The Empire Strikes Back. Some footage from the documentary and an audio commentary from Daniels was included in the 2020 featurette, Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: Behind the Scenes.
thumb|right|Daniels and film crew filming Return of the Jedi in [[Death Valley, California]]
1983's Return of the Jedi was the last installment in the original trilogy and highest-grossing film of the year. Prior to the release of the film, Daniels appeared in the unreleased 1982 mockumentary film, Return of the Ewok. This mockumentary was filmed during the production of Return of the Jedi. Daniels (as C-3PO) can be seen interacting with his new co-star Warwick Davis at Elstree Studios. He previously appeared with Michael Carter (Bib Fortuna) in a theatre production. Daniels, the cast and crew experienced difficulties on the set of Jabba's palace. A crew member held a padded board for Daniels to fall onto when C-3PO was knocked over by Jabba but received an injury from C-3PO's elbow. During filming for Jedi, Daniels was asked to prepare miming stories of the first two films "and up to that point, Return of the Jedi." He established several parallels between Guildenstern and C-3PO. Daniels said, "I really did like Jedi, but only because I got to play God for a day, with little adoring furry creatures." Following the end of production on Jedi, he witnessed two crew members making a bonfire of the Millennium Falcon due to it being expensive to store and rescued some pieces including a bundle of wires from the Falcons corridors. Daniels filmed several scenes for the original trilogy at Elstree Studios where his costume fitting also took place. From 1989 to 2021, every film of the original trilogy was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
1983–1990: Post-Star Wars original trilogy projects
Following Return of the Jedis release, he appeared in two television documentaries, Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi and From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga. Daniels reprised the role for various promotional work such as advertising for Star Wars-licensed products such as Kenner toys and a 1984 Kelloggs breakfast cereal commercial promoting C-3PO's cereal. He also appeared as C-3PO alongside R2-D2 in the 1984 television special, Donald Duck's 50th Birthday. Their scene ended with C-3PO sending Donald Duck and the voice actor, Clarence Nash birthday greetings.
Initially, Daniels thought that Jedi marked the end and that Lucas "wasn't going to make any more Star Wars films." However, a few years later an animated television series spin off from the original trilogy, the 1986 Hands Across America fundraising event with Robin Williams and theme park ride would continue his association with C-3PO before Lucas decided to create the prequel trilogy in the 1990s. Daniels attended the first sponsored Star Wars convention in May 1987 celebrating the first ten years of the franchise. An interview with Daniels was featured in the first issue of The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine (later rebranded as the Star Wars Insider). He made an appearance as C-3PO in the 1990 The Magical World of Disney episode, Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Special. C-3PO and R2-D2 can be seen with Miss Piggy and Gonzo in a segment of the episode; the Muppet characters previously appeared with the droids in the 1980 Star Wars crossover episode of The Muppet Show.
Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2 in the Skywalker saga and attended several conventions (until his death in 2016), said that he and Daniels did not get along. Daniels admitted his relationship with Baker did not match their on-screen relationship. Despite this, he acknowledged Baker's enthusiasm in his memoirs saying Baker loved his association with the franchise, R2-D2 "and the fans" and was popular with them. Daniels also described Baker's waddling as R2-D2 into the escape pod in A New Hope as "especially memorable" and detailed how Baker operated the R2 unit he could fit inside.
1978–2025: Voice work, radio and writing
Daniels' first C-3PO voice work (in animation) was the animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special. The animated segment received favourable reviews. He voiced C-3PO in the 1980 Christmas-themed Christmas in the Stars album. Daniels voiced C-3PO in the Star Wars radio serial based on the original trilogy starting off with 1981's Stars Wars to 1996's Return of the Jedi. Daniels is the only cast member of the original Star Wars trilogy to voice his character in all three parts of NPR's dramatisations of the trilogy; Hamill voiced his character in the first two parts and Joshua Fardon voiced Luke Skywalker in the third part. The radio series expanded the original trilogy by incorporating new scenes. Brian Daley scripted a scene between C-3PO and Boba Fett in Jabba's palace however, Daniels rejected the idea insisting the two characters should not be on friendly terms. Fett was replaced by Arica (Mara Jade in disguise) from Timothy Zahn's Tales from Jabba's Palace. He contributed the foreword to the collected scripts of the Return of the Jedi radio drama, as their author Brian Daley died while they were being recorded.
Daniels voiced C-3PO for six animated series: Droids, Clone Wars, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Forces of Destiny and Resistance. The Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on 20 May 2011. Following the opening ceremony, Daniels, Lucas, Walt Disney president and CEO, Bob Iger took the first official ride and their Starspeeder was filled with several characters from the franchise. Daniels also appeared with Daniel Logan, Dave Filoni, Ashley Eckstein and James Arnold Taylor at the 2011 Star Wars Weekends event.
The Star Tours ride film was updated with storylines from the prequel trilogy and later the sequel trilogy. The updated Star Tours ride was set earlier in the timeline before the original ride so it required a new captain. Fitzgerald came up with several ideas and characters before deciding to use an existing character inside of designing a new one. He met Daniels in London saying, "You've got a bigger part - much bigger!" C-3PO replaced Captain Rex as pilot of the Starspeeder and Daniels recorded his dialogue. Daniels described Star Tours as "the best ride of his life" in his memoirs. Footage of Daniels appeared in the 2021 Disney+ documentary, Behind the Attraction Star Tours episode. This episode focuses on the origins of the attraction and how it evolved since 1987.
1997–2005: Original trilogy special editions and Star Wars prequel trilogy
thumb|right|Daniels (left) with [[Jake Lloyd (right) at the first Star Wars Celebration in 1999]]
In 1997, Daniels hosted the 20th anniversary special editions of the original trilogy. One of the changes included his scene with Hamill in the landspeeder; Lucas found a way to make it hover convincingly and replace the efforts to disguise the wheels. Daniels reflected that the audience's thoughts about the changes in the special editions were somewhat divided despite further advancements in technology and digital improvements. He appeared in the television documentary special, Star Wars: The Magic and the Mystery.
Later that year, filming for the first instalment of the prequel trilogy started at Leavesden Studios. There, George Lucas told him that his character was created by one of the protagonists, Anakin Skywalker while discussing the plot line of the first prequel. Initially, Daniels thought it was Sir Alec Guinness' character before remembering his co-star portrayed Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi not Anakin Skywalker. He continued to speak highly of Guinness' professionalism, kindness and encouragement during filming A New Hope and was saddened upon hearing of his death in 2000. He acknowledged that Guinness preferred to be remembered for his earlier career on stage and film not his role as Obi-Wan. Daniels acted opposite Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. He said that McGregor and Jackson "exclaimed their childlike disbelief at working with See-Threepio."
In Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Daniels only voiced the character, which a puppeteer, Michael Lynch built and played on set. While some of the younger versions of established characters were portrayed by new cast members, Daniels, Baker, Frank Oz and Ian McDiarmid were the only actors from the original trilogy who reprised their roles in the film. Daniels collaborated with Dan Madsen organising the first Star Wars Celebration in Denver Colorado which celebrated the upcoming release of The Phantom Menace. Daniels organised finding guests and planned the stage sessions. He also attended the Celebration as a guest. The film was released to cinemas in May 1999; Daniels saw it in Salt Lake City. Initially reviews were mixed however the film became the highest grossing film of 1999 and the highest-grossing Star Wars film at the time of its release. In a 1999 interview for Star Wars Insider, he said that he "enjoyed [the film] immensely". Following a reappraisal of the prequel trilogy, Daniels said, "To be fair, the years have been kinder to this, the first Prequel. Many, who were young at the time still hold it." He defended Ahmed Best saying that the criticism he faced over his portrayal of Jar Jar Binks "was beyond cruel." In his memoirs, Daniels said that Darth Maul is still one of his favourite characters in the saga - despite his limited appearance in the film.
A few months after the release of The Phantom Menace, development began on the sequel in March 2000 and filming began on 26 June 2000 at Fox Studios, Sydney, Australia. Daniels attempted to puppeteer the skeletal C-3PO himself on location in Tunisia in Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but after the script was changed with the character wearing coverings, he returned to playing the droid in costume. This marked the first time Daniels filmed scenes in Tunisia since 1976. One of his gold outfits was painted to depict C-3PO's coverings being rusted. In this film and 2005's Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the last instalment in the prequel trilogy, he also performed the vocal tracks for scenes that featured a computer-generated C-3PO. The film performed well at the box office becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2002. Although Christensen faced criticism for his performance, Daniels praised him describing him as "such a hero, and [a] terrific, clever actor."
By the time Attack of the Clones was released to cinemas in May 2002, work began on the final film of the prequel trilogy. On 23 April 2003, it was announced that Daniels, Baker and Mayhew would reprise their roles in Revenge of the Sith. He wore the gold suit again. Daniels and the crew experienced technical difficulties while filming Revenge of the Sith; during one rehearsal the green screen was reflected on his costume but would later be retouched during post-production. The neck part of his costume was re-created by Droid supervisor Don Bies which made it more comfortable. On 24 July 2003, after Daniels finished filming in the hallway of the Alderaan starcruiser, Lucas said, "This is it, the end of the movie. Not the exact end, but the end for you for another twenty years." It was the last film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film received positive reviews and was the second-highest-grossing film in the franchise at the time. He had the first line in the original trilogy and the last line in the prequel trilogy both on Tantive IV. Daniels witnessed Christensen in his Darth Vader costume on set. He said, "I've lived with Darth Vader for years, but there was something about Hayden being in the costume.... He had a presence." In a 2014 article, Daniels said he did not like "being replaced by a digital version" of his character and C-3PO being partially CGI in some scenes in the prequels. In his 2019 memoirs, he praised Christensen and McGregor for their lightsaber duel describing them as "marvellous."
Daniels also makes cameo appearances as a humanoid in two scenes of the feature films. His character, Lieutenant Dannl Faytonni, a con man, appears in the nightclub scene early in Attack of the Clones as a man in blue uniform who can be seen in a cutaway reaction shot after Obi-Wan Kenobi disarms the bounty hunter Zam Wesell. This marked the first time Daniels portrayed a human (as well as a droid) in a Star Wars film. Daniels told Ahmed Best "that they were going to let [him] reveal [his] face" in the film so Best decided to take part in the scene as well and portrayed an Outlander Club patron, Achk Med-Beq. Faytonni can also be seen at the Galaxies Opera House in Revenge of the Sith.
2000–2005: Exhibitions and documentaries
In 2000, Daniels hosted The Art of Star Wars exhibition at the Barbican Centre. He called Kathleen Holliday, the then Lucasfilm Director of Special Projects asking if the 501st Legion could take part in the opening. The exhibition included costumes, props, paintings and drawings from the original trilogy and The Phantom Menace and this marked the first time C-3PO was on display. In 2002, he was guest at the opening of Star Wars - The Magic of Myth.
Daniels appeared in the 2001 mockumentary, R2-D2: Beneath the Dome. The mockumentary features fake interviews from some of the cast (including Daniels) and crew of Attack of the Clones and footage to tell the "life story" of R2-D2. Daniels (as C-3PO) and R2-D2 hosted 2002's Star Wars: Connections, a series of videos chronicling the connections between the prequels and original trilogy in the lead-up to the theatrical release of Attack of Clones and 2004's The Story of Star Wars, a documentary special retelling the previously released films to promote Revenge of Sith. Both of them featured new footage of C-3PO and R2-D2 focusing on the journeys of Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Daniels was featured in the 2004 documentary, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. The documentary was created for the first DVD release of the original trilogy in September 2004. The following year, he hosted the documentary, Star Wars: Heroes & Villains, which coincided with the release of Revenge of the Sith. The documentary focuses on several heroes (including C-3PO) and villains from the first six films. Initially, Daniels thought that his last day of filming Revenge of the Sith marked the end. However he continued to voice his character in several television shows after 2005 (starting off with The Clone Wars), host Star Wars related events and would appear in more live-action Star Wars films after Lucas sold the franchise to Disney in 2012.
2005–2015: Tours, commercials and new film
thumb|upright|Daniels in May 2011
Following the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, Daniels hosted Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. The travelling exhibition created by the Museum of Science, Boston opened on 27 October 2005. It featured several costumes, props and models including C-3PO and focussed on real-world science associated with the films. Daniels also wrote the introduction for the book accompanying the exhibition.
In 2009, Daniels hosted the Star Wars: In Concert tour in North America. The commercial showed C-3PO and R2-D2 breaking into the store during the night and exploring some of the products. J.J. Abrams oversaw the cast including Daniels read through the script of Episode VII at Pinewood Studios. He voiced C-3PO in the 2014 animated film, The Lego Movie alongside other crew members (including Lando Calrissian voiced by Billy Dee Williams) of the Millennium Falcon. Daniels watched the film in New York describing it as "ingenious". The film received praise for the humour and was named one of the top-ten films of 2014. He once visited the Lego factory in Denmark and said, "I was fascinated by the witty-looking robots that stamped out multicolored blocks of plastic". Daniels received a twenty inch Lego model of C-3PO from Michael Donovan and Michael Price.
Daniels appeared in the 2014 BBC documentary series, Tomorrow's Worlds: The Unearthly History of Science Fiction and discussed his experience playing C-3PO. Daniels said that one of the questions he gets asked most is, "Is it hot in the costume?" It was the first live-action Star Wars film to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film received positive reviews, was the highest grossing film of 2015, grossed $2.07 billion worldwide and became the third-highest grossing film at the time of its release.
J. J. Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens, told Daniels that he was only going to be the voice of C-3PO in the film, but changed his mind and decided Daniels would wear the suit in the film as well. Abrams made a new C-3PO suit (with David Merryweather in charge of the redesign) for Daniels to wear during filming using 3D printing instead of fiberglass that allowed Daniels a great deal more mobility and comfort than the original suit and took less time to get into. Daniels has stated his displeasure with the droid's red arm. Abrams insisted that the red arm would show a back story since The Force Awakens is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi. Daniels revealed that it was George Lucas' idea for C-3PO's light silver left leg in A New Hope to show the character "had a history" and to make the audience think that something happened in the past. When Star Wars Insider asked Daniels about reprising his role in The Force Awakens, he said it was possible to be involved in all seven films because while C-3PO is human inside, his "permanently friendly expression" on the outside has been consistent with his first appearance in 1977's A New Hope and has connected with the audience across three generations. Daniels later read the 2016 one shot Marvel comic, Star Wars: C-3PO #1. He described it as "a story of loyalty and understanding." Daniels voiced C-3PO in the 2016 non-canon TV mini-series, Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises.
Daniels also appeared as C-3PO in 2017's The Last Jedi, and 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, the last two instalments of the Skywalker saga. In a 2017 article, he said he thought about retiring but would not. He suggested to Abrams that C-3PO should be given a "meaningful end". Abrams said to Daniels, "not on my watch." This suggestion was not materialised and the character ultimately survived. Daniels' last day of filming took place on Monday 28 January 2019 and finished with a speech from Abrams before Daniels gave one of his "third ending". He was featured in the 2020 documentary, The Skywalker Legacy. The documentary included interviews with the cast of the original trilogy as well as the cast (including Daniels) and crew of The Rise of Skywalker.
Prior to the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Daniels was asked how he would describe C-3PO. He replied, "A teller of truth. He’s the observer. He’s the objective eye." He also said that, "It was great to see C-3PO have real purpose." Daniels insisted that his character is not cowardly and is aware what danger is about. When discussing The Force Awakens, Daniels said that due to C-3PO being "programmed to make people feel comfortable", the character would opt for a quiet life over space travel, battles and drama he does not like. When discussing The Last Jedi, he said C-3PO's role is to act "as a little foil to all the drama that happens". In an interview about the Star Wars: In Concert tour for Star Wars Insider, he included Rey's theme as one of his favourite pieces from the franchise saying “[The theme] absolutely captures Rey's youthfulness". The Rise of Skywalker concluded the Skywalker saga however, Daniels' involvement with the franchise would continue.
2016–present: Anthology films and further involvement
Outside the Skywalker saga, Daniels appeared in a cameo as C-3PO in 2016's Rogue One, the first standalone film in the Star Wars anthology series. Prior to filming, film director Gareth Edwards met Daniels expressing enthusiasm for him to make an appearance in his film. Daniels filmed scenes for the hangar bay on Yavin 4 at Cardington. Merryweather added more refinements to the costume. Daniels attended the premiere of Rogue One at Tate Modern. The film received positive reviews, grossed $1 billion worldwide and was the second highest-grossing film of 2016. Daniels praised the film in his memoirs but echoed the journalist's criticism of the digital recreation of a younger Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia "begging her not to turn around" when he watched the film. However, he was delighted by the audience's reaction when C-3PO made his surprise cameo appearance in the film.
After coming up with an idea to the producers of either appearing as an extra or making a cameo, Daniels made an appearance as Tak, a con artist working in the spice mines of Kessel in the second anthology film, Solo: A Star Wars Story. it is unknown if he will be involved in 2027's Star Wars: Starfighter.
Daniels also voiced C-3PO's cameo appearance in the 2018 film Ralph Breaks the Internet. His character can be seen entering the dressing room and informing the Disney princesses that a "Which Disney Princess Are You?" quiz is about to start in five minutes. He made cameos as C-3PO in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. Daniels is the only actor to act and been involved in all nine films of the Skywalker saga, three live-action anthology films, the Star Wars Holiday Special, the 2008 Clone Wars film, the related television series and several TV series and specials (animated and live-action). His Star Wars related film, television, documentary, music, games and miscellaneous projects up to 2019 can be seen in the Droidography (a portmanteau of "droid" and "filmography") section of his memoirs.
Daniels and his co-star, [[Mark Hamill (pictured in 2019) have appeared together in six films and numerous media in the franchise from 1977's Star Wars to 2025's LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past.|thumb|upright|left]]
In March 2017, All Nippon Airways introduced a Boeing 777 modelled after C-3PO into service. Daniels attended the ANA booth at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2016 where the design of the model was unveiled and signed it. He also attended the aircraft's unveiling and signed the front door on the left-hand side. The ANA Star Wars project having begun in 2015 ended on 31 March 2026. ANA gave him a four feet long model version of the plane.
In 2024, Daniels auctioned off some of his collection including the head-piece he wore. He reprised his role in the 2024 animated short, How NOT to Draw R2-D2 which was narrated by Mark Hamill. Series creator and executive producer, Gino Guzzardo said, "As Anthony Daniels got into character, he actually performed with his whole body." In January 2026, he hosted new Lego Smart Play Star Wars sets which included a new Smart C-3PO minifigure at the Nuremberg Toy Fair.
Daniels has attended several conventions as part of Star Wars Celebration as a guest since 1999 and has been sharing memories of his experience working on the franchise with the audience during panels. He made a gold jacket for the first Celebration event as a reference to his character. Daniels attended Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025.
Daniels praised the 501st Legion describing it as a "magnificent organisation", acknowledging the positive impact the group has on others and expressed amazement that some members of the 501st and R2-D2 Builders Club created their own replica C-3PO costumes (as well as R2-D2 and other astromech droids in the franchise). Long before the club was established in 1999, Daniels watched John Stears and his team create the first R2 units at Elstree Studios in 1975.
Other acting roles
Daniels voiced Legolas in Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (1978) starring Sir John Hurt as Aragorn.
Daniels has appeared intermittently on British television in various dramas, notably in a recurring role in Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren. He also played the priest in the British spoof horror film I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990). Initially, the film received criticism but later received more favourable reviews. He portrayed François in one of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television films, Attack of the Hawkmen. The television show is set before the events of the Indiana Jones films. Daniels' costar, Harrison Ford portrayed the titular character. Several of his costars from Star Wars also appeared in Holby City and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. While the 2015 edition coincided with the release of The Force Awakens, the 2019 edition was published as part of the Journey to Star Wars initiative leading up to the release of The Rise of the Skywalker and was an updated edition of the 2015 edition.
2019: I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story
His autobiography, I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story, was published in the United Kingdom in hardback on 31 October 2019 before the first United States hardback edition was published on 5 November 2019 by DK. The UK paperback edition was published by DK on 5 November 2020. He had previously considered using the title Telling the Odds. According to an interview, while filming The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams suggested that Daniels "should write a book." Two days later, Daniels asked Abrams if he would write the foreword; Abrams replied, "I'd be honored." He told RadioTimes.com that he "wanted to give a slightly rounder picture of what it was like, what it is like, what it has been like”. Daniels also narrated an audio edition of his book with Abrams narrating his foreword; the audio book features a selection of John Williams' music from the films.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
!
|-
| 1977
| Star Wars
| C-3PO<br/>CZ-3
| Also known as A New Hope
|
|-
| The Lord of the Rings
| Legolas Greenleaf<br />Deagol
| Voice; uncredited as Deagol
|
|-
| 1980
| The Empire Strikes Back
| rowspan="3" | C-3PO
|
|
|-
| 2008
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars
| rowspan="5" | C-3PO
| Voice
|
|-
| 2014
| The Lego Movie
| Voice; cameo
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2018
| Solo: A Star Wars Story
| Tak
| Cameo
|
|-
| Ralph Breaks the Internet
| rowspan="2"| C-3PO
| Voice; cameo
|
|-
| 2019
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
|
|
|-
| Sesame Street
| 4 episodes
|
|-
| 1988–89
| Square Deal
| Julian
| 3 episodes
|
|-
| Ghosts of Albion Embers
| Lord Nelson
| Voice; <br> TV movie
|
|-
| 2012–13
| Dirigible Days
| Narrator
| Voice; <br> Also executive producer;<br> 5 episodes
|
|-
| 2013–14
| Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles
| rowspan="13" | C-3PO
| Voice; <br> 6 episodes
|
|-
| 2014
| Star Wars Rebels
| Voice; <br> Episode: "Droids in Distress"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2022
| Obi-Wan Kenobi
| Cameo; Episode: "Part I"
|
|-
| 2023
| Ahsoka
| Episode: "Part Seven: Dreams and Madness"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2024
| How NOT to Draw
| Voice; <br> 1 episode: "R2-D2"
|
|-
| Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
| Voice; <br> 3 episodes
|
|-
| 2025
| Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past
| Voice; <br> 2 episodes
|
|-
|}
Documentary
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
!
|-
| 1977
| The Making of Star Wars
| C-3PO<br/>Host
| TV movie documentary
|
|-
| 1978
| 50th Academy Awards
| C-3PO<br/>Presenter
| TV special
|
|-
| 1980
| The Making of 'The Empire Strikes Back
| rowspan="6" | C-3PO<br/>Himself
| rowspan="4" | TV movie documentary
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1983
| Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi
| rowspan="7" |
|-
| From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
|-
| 1997
| Star Wars: The Magic and the Mystery
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2004
| Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
| Video documentary
|-
| When Star Wars Ruled The World
| TV movie documentary
|-
| The Story of Star Wars
| C-3PO
| Video documentary
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2005
| Science of Star Wars
| rowspan="3"| C-3PO<br/>Himself
| TV documentary miniseries<br/>3 episodes
|-
| Star Wars: Feel The Force
| TV movie documentary
| rowspan="2"|
|-
| Star Wars: Heroes & Villains
| Documentary
|-
| 2014
| Tomorrow's Worlds: The Unearthly History of Science Fiction
| Himself
| TV documentary series
|
|-
|}
Radio
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
!
|-
| 1981
| Star Wars
| rowspan="3" | C-3PO
| rowspan="3" |
|-
| 1983
| The Empire Strikes Back
|-
| 1996
| Return of the Jedi
|}
Theatre
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Venue
! class="unsortable" | Notes
!
|-
| 1975-1976
| Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
| Guildenstern
| Criterion Theatre
| rowspan="2"|West End
|
|-
| 1980
| Dangerous Corner
| Gordon Whitehouse
| Ambassadors Theatre
|
|-
| 2011
| Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
| Uncredited
|
|-
| I Expect You to Die
| Daniel Sans
|
|
|-
|2020
|Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge
| rowspan="3" |C-3PO
|
|
|-
|2021
|Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge- Last Call
|
|
|-
|2022
|Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
|
|
|}
Discography
- The Story of Star Wars (1977)
- Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album (1980)
References
Notes
Citations
Print sources
Books
Magazines
External links
- Anthony Daniels at BFI
- Multimedia Q&A with Daniels from the BBC website for the Ghosts of Albion