Geek - Issue 9 2019 - 50

Ps

Parting Shot

C-3PO Speaks

Anthony
Daniels

By Ed Gross

WHEN YOU ASK C-3P0'S REAL-LIFE ALTER EGO
what it is that gets his geek on, the last thing you
expect to be told is that it involves the violent
destruction of robots. There's just something so...
wrong about that. "I shouldn't admit to this, should
I?" Anthony Daniels asks rhetorically.
Too late, droid boy. "It's very rarely on British
television anymore," he attempts to clarify, "but
it was a program called Robot Wars, where you
had these huge homemade machines going into
gladiatorial battle with each other and just bashing
each other through people operating their remote
controls. I used to enjoy that because it was such
visceral violence, which is not part of my life, really."
("Really" kind of sounds like a qualifier to us.)
What has been part of his life for the past 42
years has been Star Wars, which he has chronicled
in his new autobiography, I Am C-3P0 (from DK
Books), an effort that has led him to an interesting
conclusion: "It's quite amazing to have survived
everything," he laughs. "But also looking at all the

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ISSUE 09

elements that have come together, to be a part of
the things I've been a part of, starting with George
Lucas and his ingenuity and imagination to create
the whole thing in the first place. And then to end up
with his apprentice, if you like, with J.J. Abrams, who
has taken that wonderful gift and just run with it in
the most exciting way. Plus all the bits in between."
C-3P0 has the distinction of being the only
character to appear in all nine Star Wars films, which
means the actor has worked with many different
directors over the years. "But, of course, C-3P0
remains C-3P0-nobody has really messed with
him, except for J.J. and that red arm," he says. "The
character is kind of a given. Certainly, in this new
film, he gets to be more of himself, but through it
all, it's been an honor to be in all of these films. Even
if I didn't have that much to do, at least C-3P0 was
there. And so was I."
Again, for over four decades. "I am hugely lucky,
and strangely lucky, to have been given a part where

it doesn't matter how aged I'm becoming-and
believe me, that's happening on a daily basis. Yet
through it all, C-3P0 retains that very handsome
face that we remember from all these years. He's
quite lucky, that one."
Geek - Issue 9 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geek - Issue 9 2019
