Anthony Daniels teases C-3PO’s journey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and talks red eyes
Exclusive: The actor speaks about his character's journey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Anthony Daniels remains the only actor to have appeared in every Star Wars movie, even the spin-offs. However, Daniels' famous droid, C-3PO, was not exactly a core part of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, something he freely admits.
“In Episode 7, [director] J.J. [Abrams] had so many things to recreate that C-3PO’s main thing was a red arm – which we didn’t like. And we told him on a daily basis, we didn’t like it,” he tells our sister publication Total Film, the actor presumably referring to himself and C-3PO in a Gollum/ Smeagol fashion. “Then in The Last Jedi, C-3PO, again, was rather like a bit of decoration at the side somewhere. So I was kind of ready to be an extra again."
That's all about to change with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While Daniels does not go into specifics, he clarifies: "For C-3PO as a character that I love – if he were to go to the movies and watch himself in this last movie, I think he’d be very pleased. I’ll leave it at that.”
Pushed on what C-3PO's new red eyes, as seen in the D23 trailer, mean for the character, Daniels remains coy, but reveals the shock of putting on the newly tinted helmet. “It was a shock when I put the [helmet] on, because it wasn’t like C-3PO,” he says. “That’s what I found quite scary, how much the colour change made him look totally different. It was totally uncanny, and slightly uncomfortable.”
You can read the full article, which features an in-depth look at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – including more quotes from Daniels, as well as J.J. Abrams, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac – in the latest issue of Total Film magazine, which reaches shelves on November 15.
If you’re a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue, and you’ll get exclusive subscriber-only covers, like the one below, delivered directly to your doormat before the magazine hits shelves?
We’re currently running a subscription offer where you can subscribe from as little as £12.25 every three months, and you’ll also get five blockbuster movies to run from Rakuten TV (which you can watch on any supported device including Smart TVs, consoles, tablets, smartphones and more). Head to My Favourite Magazines now to take advantage of the offer. (Ts and Cs apply).
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.