Anthony Daniels
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Anthony Daniels
Biography
While British actor Anthony Daniels' face and name may not be immediately familiar to the moviegoing public, his primary film role most assuredly is: fussy aureate android C-3PO in the phenomenally popular Star Wars saga. Though acting was his passion, Daniels did not attempt to make it his career until his mid-twenties. After three years in drama school, Daniels won a job on BBC Radio and soon moved to theater, joining Britain's Young Vic Company. Daniels had been a professional thespian for only two years when he, despite initial reluctance, agreed to play C-3PO in George Lucas' record-breaking sci-fi fantasy Star Wars (1977). Paired with the bolder droid R2D2, C-3PO fretfully joined Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in the old-fashioned battle against the evil Dark Side; his gold anthropomorphized machine body became a prominent symbol of Lucas' elaborately conceived cinematic universe. The blockbuster sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), also featured Daniels as the popular droid. Though Daniels moved on to other acting projects, including the animated Lord of the Rings (1978), I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1989), and the fourth installment of British television's acclaimed Prime Suspect series, he also authored the comic book The Protocol Offensive about C-3PO. When Lucas began production in the late '90s on the trio of prequels to the original Star Wars, Daniels was one of the few original cast members the story allowed to return -- and Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace (1999) finally revealed the origin of a pre-gilded age C-3PO. ~ Lucia Bozzola, RoviFilmography:
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Anthony Daniels
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Anthony Daniels
For other people named Anthony Daniels, see Anthony Daniels (disambiguation).
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| Anthony Daniels | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Daniels, 2005 |
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| Born | 21 February 1946 Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK |
| Occupation | Mime artist, actor |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Website | |
| http://www.anthonydaniels.com/ | |
Anthony Daniels (born 21 February 1946) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as the droid C-3PO in the Star Wars series of films made between 1977 and 2005.
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Early life
Daniels was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, the son of a plastics company executive.[1] Never a science fiction fan, Daniels has said that before his role in Star Wars, the only science fiction film he had ever gone to see in a theatre was 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968. He was so dissatisfied with the film that he walked out after only ten minutes and demanded his money back.[2]
Career
For the Star Wars franchise
Daniels has played C-3PO in all six of the Star Wars feature films, as both the body and voice of the golden robot. In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, he wore a blue Spandex costume so that during editing of the movie his body could be turned into many different wires and circuits. Daniels has reprised the role for various promotional work such as hosting The Making of Star Wars, Star Wars Connections and The Science of Star Wars; for appearances on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street and an anti-smoking public service announcement; for The Star Wars Holiday Special; in advertising for Star Wars licensed products such as Kenner toys and even a breakfast cereal based on the character.
Daniels voiced C-3PO in the Star Wars radio serial based on the original trilogy. He is the only cast member of the original Star Wars trilogy to voice his character in all three parts of National Public Radio's dramatisations of the trilogy. He voiced C-3PO for three animated series: Droids, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Other C-3PO voicework by Daniels includes: the Christmas-themed Christmas in the Stars album; the multiple Walt Disney theme park attractions, Star Tours and Star Tours: The Adventures Continue; the fan film/show Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom: A Fan Film of Epic Proportions and the Star Tours shutdown ceremony as a part of the Disney's Hollywood Studios' "Last Tour to Endor" event at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida. He also provided the narration and all character voices for the audio books Dark Force Rising and The Last Command.
He contributed the foreword to the collected scripts of the Return of the Jedi radio drama, as their author Brian Daley died just as the episodes were being recorded. Daniels' other Star Wars-related writings include the Wonder Column for Star Wars Insider magazine and a comic book adventure for C-3PO and R2-D2 entitled The Protocol Offensive, published by Dark Horse Comics.
He controlled the puppet for 2002's Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but all these scenes were cut, with the droid's first appearance in the film being Daniels in costume. In this film and 2005's Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, he also performed the vocal tracks for scenes that featured a computer-generated C-3PO. Daniels is the only actor to act in the original six films, the 2008 Clone Wars film, and the related TV series. He is set to appear as C-3PO as a recurring character in the new Star Wars live-action television series set to debut in 2012 or 2013.
Daniels hosted the Star Wars: In Concert North American tour.[3]
Daniels also makes cameo appearances as a humanoid in two scenes of the feature films. His character, Lieutenant Dannl Faytonni, is named as a tribute to his own name, albeit in modified form. The character appears in the Outlander nightclub scene early in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as a man in blue uniform who can be seen in a cutaway reaction shot after Obi-Wan disarms the bounty hunter Zam Wesell. Faytonni can also be seen at the Galaxies Opera House in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Other acting roles
Daniels was the voice of Legolas in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. He 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 1990 British spoof horror film I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle.
He has also appeared at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida for the Star Wars Weekends as he gave his "inside the saga" story.
Other work
Daniels is an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center.[3]
References
- ^ Lubow, Arthur. "The Forces Behind Jedi: Making Movie History Took Lucas & Co. to the Outer Limits", People, vol. 20, no. 6, 8 August 1983.
- ^ Dermot O'Leary Show, BBC Radio 2, 21 March 2009.
- ^ a b MaryCatherine (15 September 2009). "Adjunct Professor Anthony Daniels to Narrate North American tour of Star Wars: In Concert". ETC Global News. Carnegie Mellon University. http://www.etc.cmu.edu/global_news/?q=node/286.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anthony Daniels |
- Official website
- Anthony Daniels on Twitter
- Anthony Daniels at the Internet Movie Database
- Multimedia Q&A with Daniels from the BBC website for the Ghosts of Albion
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