It's easy to forget that before 1977's "A New Hope" (called simply "Star Wars" at the time), sci-fi wasn't looked at in quite the same way. Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3P0 since the beginning, didn't quite get it at first either.
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Star Wars' Anthony Daniels Was 'Insulted' By The Offer To Audition For C-3PO
A world without "Star Wars" is an odd one to contemplate if it's been around for your entire life. If "Star Wars" didn't exist and someone pitched a story set in space where a princess is kidnapped, a man in sort of Samurai helm is blowing up planets, a farm boy saves the world, and two robots (yes, they're "droids," but before we knew that) team up and become besties, you'd think it was weird, too. Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3P0 since the beginning, didn't quite get it at first either.
Back in 1977 if you told the actor who plays C-3PO, Anthony Daniels, that there'd be eight more of these movies for him to star in, he probably wouldn't be too happy to hear it.
It wasn't until Lucas realized he was working with so many Brits that he altered the character of C-3PO.
Daniels' willingness to express his opinion on the films that brought him fame and fortune is endearingly unguarded. He was no less critical of mega-corporation Disney.
Although Daniels hadn't yet landed the part, a little accidental semantic bumbling led him prematurely to think he had.
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