Anthony Daniels, the actor behind C-3PO: The story of his casting

Summary

In this article, we explore the experience of Anthony Daniels, the actor who portrayed C-3PO in the Star Wars movies. He initially turned down the role but was convinced to take it after seeing the conceptual artwork of the character. The article delves into the creation of the C-3PO costume, the challenges of wearing it, and the success of the character in subsequent films.

The initial rejection and the inspiration behind C-3PO
The creation of the C-3PO costume
The challenges of wearing the C-3PO costume
The success of the character in subsequent films

The initial rejection and the inspiration behind C-3PO

Anthony Daniels initially turned down the role of C-3PO in the Star Wars movies. However, he changed his mind after seeing the conceptual artwork of the character. C-3PO was based on a character from the film Metropolis, and the costume was made by covering Anthony’s body in plaster and then molding it into the frame for the robot suit. The costume was very complicated and required a team of prop makers to create all the different pieces. Despite the discomfort, Anthony relied on the kindness of the crew to make him as comfortable as possible.

The creation of the C-3PO costume

The speaker in the video describes their experience trying on a suit for a special effects studio. The suit was uncomfortable and made it difficult to move. The suit was made up of 17 pieces, including a gold covering and a black leotard. The speaker had to wear a bungee cord to keep the top and bottom half of the leg together. The suit also included a gold cover for their foot, which was just a ban. The speaker was locked into the suit and had to wear black cotton gloves with strange pieces glued onto them. They had two necks, one for the camera to shoot from the front and one for the camera to shoot from the back. The final step was to take the face and back of the suit and join them together with a pin. The process took over two hours, and the pins were difficult to lock into place.

The challenges of wearing the C-3PO costume

The speaker in the video talks about the challenges of acting in the C-3PO costume and the difficulty of speaking clearly. The costume was heavy and made it difficult to move around. The speaker had to rely on the kindness of the crew to make adjustments to the costume to make it more comfortable. They also had to wear black cotton gloves with strange pieces glued onto them, which made it difficult to use their hands. Despite the challenges, Anthony Daniels brought the character of C-3PO to life in a memorable way.

The success of the character in subsequent films

The first Star Wars movie was a huge success, and the character of C-3PO became an instant fan favorite. The character continued to appear in subsequent films, and some changes were made to the costume to make it easier to wear. Despite the challenges of wearing the costume, Anthony Daniels continued to portray C-3PO throughout the Star Wars franchise, cementing his place in movie history.

Conclusion

The story of Anthony Daniels and his experience portraying C-3PO is a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most iconic movie franchises of all time. Despite the challenges of wearing the costume, Daniels brought the character to life in a way that has captured the hearts of fans around the world.