Higher Definition

Episode Number: 428

Episode Title: Anthony Daniels

Description: For the 30th anniversary year of Star Wars, actor Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) talks about his role of a lifetime in the films, including what the character has meant to both himself and his fans.

Transcript:

THE FORCE IS WITH US ON THIS EDITION OF HIGHER DEFINITION ACTUALLY THAT WOULD BE ANTHONY DANIELS HE OF COURSE IS THE MAN INSIDE C3PO

WELCOME TO HIGHER DEFINITION I AM OF COURSE YOUR HOST ROBERT WILONSKY AND IF IT'S THE SUMMER WELL I MUST HAVE A SUMMER COLD BUT WE WILL NOT LET THAT DETER US FROM GOING TO A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY WITH ANTHONY DANIELS. YES WE HAVE A FORCE THAT MAN BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING THE GOLDEN PROTOCOL DROID C3PO. NOW WE HAD THE OCCASION TO MEET ANTHONY DANIELS GRAND OPENING OF THE STAR WARS WHERE SCIENCE MEETS IMAGINATION EXHIBIT THAT HAS JUST OPENED AT THE FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY. IT'S AN EXHIBIT THAT HAS BEEN TRAVELING THE COUNTRY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND IT IS CHALK A BLOCK WITH MINIATURES, MODELS, COSTUMES AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOUR KID AND OF COURSE YOU WANNA SEE FROM THE STAR WARS FRANCHISE ANTHONY DANIELS HAS A FASCINATING STORY TO TELL ABOUT BEING C3PO AND HIS CAREER AS AN ACTOR BEFORE THAT SO LET'S WASTE NO MORE TIME GET RIGHT TO ANTHONY DANIELS THE SUBJECT OF THIS ENTIRE EPISODE DEVOTED TO ANTHONY DANIELS C3PO AND STAR WARS MY KIDS FAVORITE MOVIE AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND ADMIT IT NOW ONE OF MINE WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING. WELL I'M NOT GOING THAT WAY IT'S MUCH TOO ROCKY, THIS WAY IS MUCH EASIER. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THERE ARE SETTLEMENTS OVER THERE. DON'T GET TECHNICAL WITH ME. WHAT MISSION WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I'VE JUST ABOUT HAD ENOUGH OF YOU. GO THAT WAY YOU'LL BE MALFUNCTIONING WITHIN A DAY YOU NEARSIGHTED SCRAP PILE AND DON'T LET ME CATCH YOU FOLLOWING ME BEGGING FOR HELP BECAUSE YOU WONT GET IT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY INTERESTED BY THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU AUDITIONED FOR STAR WARS IN 76 OR WHEN YOU MET WITH LUCAS YOU WERE DOING ROSEN CRANSTON GUILDENSTERN ON THE WEST END IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN THAT'S RIGHT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOUR VIEWERS WILL ACTUALLY KNOW THIS STORY OF ROSEN CRANSTON GUILDENSTERN BUT THERE 2 TINY CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE HAMLET UM BUT IN ROSEN CRANSTON GILDSTEN HAMLETS THE TINY CHARACTER AND ORANGEY ARE THERE ON STAGE THE WHOLE EVENING IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE AN EXHAUSTING ROLE AND THERE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT WHO'S WHO IN FACT I SORT OF REMEMBERED THAT I WAS GILDEN SORT OF THE BRIGHTER ONE BUT IT WAS YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS LATER THAT I REALIZED THAT THE CHARACTER ID BEEN PLAYING IN THE OTHER CHARACTER WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME AS R2D2 AND C3PO. THAT YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO APPEARS TO BE SORT OF BRIGHT AND VERY SHARP AND ON THE BALL AND THE OTHER FRIEND IS A BIT KIND OF MEH KLUTZY AND WHATEVER BUT ACTUALLY GOES WHATEVER THE MATTER. AND HERE ID BEEN ON STAGE PLAYING THIS KIND OF ROLE OF A DOUBLE ACT UH OF 2 COMPLETELY INCONSEQUENTIAL CHARACTERS ON WHOM THE WORLD DUMPS SO IN HAMLET IN THE END THEIR FATE IS TO BE SENT TO ENGLAND WITH A LETTER SAYING THERE GONNA BE EXECUTED THAT'S THEIR END THEY AND THEY ARE THE COMMON MAN THE ORDINARY JOE WHO GOES THROUGH LIFE AND YEARS LATER I THOUGHT WAIT A MINUTE R2 AND 3P0 ARE THIS. I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T CAUSE IT OCCURRED TO ME FROM THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER HEARD THAT STORY AND IT WAS LIKE IT SEEMS INEVITABLE IN SOME WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT END UP WITH 3PO IT JUST SETS THE PERFECT SORT OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP IT'S KIND OF COMIC ISN'T IT. IT'S A STRANGE PIECE OF MAGIC THE WAY THEY ARE ESPECIALLY AS THE CHARACTERS WENT ON TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN LIVES AND THEIR OWN OUTSIDE OF BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT 3PO SPECIFICALLY THE DROIDS AS WELL WELL I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SO MANY SO MANY SPIN OFFS YOU KNOW THEY RANGE FROM THE TRULY APAULING LIKE THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY EVER SAW ARE YOU EVEN ALLOWED TO MENTION THAT UH I PROBABLY GET A LETTER FROM GEORGE LUCAS SAYING UH WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT ANYMORE IT WILL NEVER EVER BEEN SHOWN AGAIN IT'S IN THE VAULTS LOCKED AWAY. IT'S ON YOUTUBE EVERYWHERE IS IT OH YES WELL I DEFY ANYBODY TO SIT THROUGH IT ANYWAY BUT WE RANGE FROM THAT KIND OF THING TO LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOD STUFF THINGS LIKE SESAME STREET TRULY ONE OF THE SORT OF LITTLE MOMENTS THAT I'M REALLY KIND OF PROUD OF THROUGH TO AN ANTI SMOKING COMMERCIAL THAT I WROTE BECAUSE I'M VERY KEEN THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T SMOKE AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU SEE KIDS YOU KNOW IT'S JUST TERRIBLE THEY JUST PUT THAT ON STARWARS.COM AS PART OF THE 250 CLIPS YOU CAN ACTUALLY WATCH THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR ANTI SMOKING AD WHEN YOU CATCH R2 SMOKING BEHIND A CORNER R2'S YEAH IT'S I MEAN I DID WRITE IT SO I TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR IT AND IT DOES MAKE ME SMILE WHEN I SAY IT CAUSE YEAH IT'S WE ACTUALLY SHOT IT IN A ELECTRICITY POWER STATION IN LOS ANGELES I ACTUALLY FOUND IT QUITE SCARY CAUSE EVERYTHING WOULD HUM IN A WAY LIKE HERE YOU KNOW. YOU WEREN'T SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO ELECTROCUTE YOU. AND WE DID THIS THING OF UH FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT R2, 3PO'S MENDING SOMETHING AND IT SPARKS AND IMMEDIATELY HE THINGS R2 CAN HELP. R2. R2D2 WHERE AND THEN YOU SEE A LONG SHOT AND YOU SEE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THIS MACHINE AHH RUNS OUT AND THEN YOU SEE LOOKING DOWN THEN YOU GET THE REVERSE SHOT AND THEN YOU'VE GOT R2 THERE WITH SMOKE. R2D2 YOUR ON FIRE AND THE CAMERA PULLS BACK AND YOU SEE THAT HE'S HOLDING. ELEGANT CLAW R2D2 YOU FOUND A CIGARETTE. WE HAD TO PHRASE IT LIKE THAT THERE'S ALL SORTS OF RULES ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN SAY AND SO ON AND THEN UM I EXPLAIN THAT IT'S, IT DOES TERRIBLE THINGS TO YOUR LUNGS AND IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR HEART AND R2 GOES BEEP BEEP BEEP WELL I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ONE BUT HUMANS DO AND I THINK WE SHOULD SET A GOOD EXAMPLE SO HE THROWS IT AWAY AND AT THE END I SAY WELL DONE R2 DO YOU REALLY THINK I DON'T HAVE A HEART? IT'S REALLY TRAGIC AND I IT DOES MAKE ME SMILE I'M VERY PROUD OF DOING THAT. ISN'T THAT PATHETIC NO, THE FACT THAT THOSE THINGS WERE AVAILABLE NOW ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OBVIOUSLY IT'S PART OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OBVIOUSLY THE REASON WHY WERE HERE AT THIS EXHIBIT IN FORT WORTH THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY HAS GENERATED A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM BUT AS I'VE DISCOVERED BEING A FATHER OF A 4 YEAR OLD. IT NEVER WANED FOR ONE SECOND IN THE COURSE OF THAT 30 YEARS. DOES THAT 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU OUTSIDE OF SORT OF THE HOOPLA THAT SURROUNDS IT. INTERESTING QUESTION I AM ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE ON THE PLANET WHO NEVER SAW THE FILMS THE WAY YOU AND THE AUDIENCE SAW THEM BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THEM SO I SORT OF HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON ALL OF THEM I'VE BEEN HUGELY LUCKY TO BE ON THE INSIDE, TO GO YOU KNOW ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON AND SEE HOW ALL THOSE LIGHTS REALLY WORK YOU KNOW UM THERE WAS ONE DAY I WAS STANDING THERE IN THE DOORWAY WHICH MY POSITION AND BY EVERYTHING WAS GREEN RED AND BLUE LIGHTS EVERYWHERE GIZMOS THAT YOU COULD TOUCH AND SO ON AND UM THEN WHEN I LOOKED ON THE OTHER SIDE AND NOW I'M LOOKING AT THE REVERSE WHERE THERE'S HARDBOARD WOODEN FLATS WITH WOODEN STRUTS LIKE THAT AND ON THE BACK OF ONE OF THEM A POLYSTYRENE CUP WITH SOME COLD TEA AND A PIECE OF BACON RIND FROM SOMEBODY'S BREAKFAST ROLL. AND IT WAS LIKE A PIECE OF ART AND I KEPT GOING HERE'S A SPACE SHIP AND HERE'S COMPLETE JUNK AND I LOVE THAT SORT OF BEHIND THE SCENES THING SURE BUT ALSO WITH THE ACTING WITH THE SCRIPTS EVERYTHING I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING SO WHEN I SEE THE MOVIE I THINK WELL IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY MATTED IN BEHIND ME OR WHATEVER BUT 30 YEARS. I THINK THE ODDEST THING THAT HAPPENED FOR ME WAS 2 PLACES 1 AND 2 NEWS YEAR ON THE LAST FILM THAT WE SHOT AND ONE IN AUSTRALIA. THEN WE WERE IN LUKE SKY WALKERS HOME AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE WAS GEORGE AND MYSELF AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN THE CORRIDOR IN AUSTRALIA. WE HAD BEEN IN THAT CORRIDOR 30 YEARS EARLIER ON A DIFFERENT CONTINENT YOU KNOW THAT WAS IN ENGLAND NOW WERE IN AUSTRALIA BUT IT'S THE SAME THING AND I'M ACTUALLY GETTING GOOSEBUMPS TALKING ABOUT IT CAUSE THIS STRANGE LITTLE FREEZE SOMETHING IF YOU LIKE AND THAT I SUPPOSE IS MY REACTION I AM NOT A FAN I THINK THE FILMS ARE EXCELLENT. BUT I DON'T WATCH THEN AVIDLY LIKE EVERYBODY DOES WHY WOULD YOU WHY WOULD I IT'S KIND OF YOU KNOW I'M NOT KNOCKING PEOPLE WHO DO THEY PAID MY SALARY ALL THESE YEARS THANK YOU SO MUCH. BUT I SEE IT I SEE IT ALMOST AT A DISTANCE HAVING JUST BEEN TO THE LOS ANGELES CELEBRATION AS THEY CALL IT WHAT I SUDDENLY GOT BECAUSE I WAS THERE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR 5 DAYS I DON'T THINK I'LL DO THAT AGAIN IN MY LIFETIME. BUT I GOT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF AFFECTION AND I YOU KNOW I CAN SEE WHY ACTORS GET OFF ON, ON I DON'T KNOW DOING THAT SORT OF THING BECAUSE AND THEY AGAIN AN ALTING HAPPENED THE FIRST PERSON COMES UP AND GOES YOU KNOW YOU REALLY CHANGED MY LIFE I'M SO GRATEFUL TO YOU WHAT DO, IT'S LOVELY A SECOND PERSON SAYS IT YOU KNOW YOU WERE WONDERFUL OR WHATEVER, THE THIRD PERSON THE HUNDREDTH PERSON YOU GO YEAH YEAH WHAT NAME WOULD YOU LIKE ON. AND THEN I REALIZED THEY NEED TO RESPOND BACK THEY NEED TO SAY THEIR BIT OF THE TRANSACTION THEY NEED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS THEY NEED TO FEEL AS GOOD AS I FEEL. CAUSE I'VE DONE MY STUFF ON THE SCREEN THEY'VE DONE IT BY WATCHING THEN THEY WANT TO JOIN IN A BIT AND SAY THANK YOU AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR THANK YOU AND SAY THANK YOU IN RETURN. TAUGHT ME A LESSON BUT SEE ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND REMARKABLE ABOUT IT IS A FRIEND OF MINE THE OTHER DAY DESCRIBES STAR WARS TO ME AS THIS GENERATIONS WIZARD OF OZ. AND THEN IT GOES FROM BEING SOMETHING YES THERE'S A DCULT A TRANSCENDS CULT BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY PEOPLE WHO DRESS UP. BUT IT TRANSCENDS THAT IN AS MUCH AS IT HAS BECOME A MODERN DAY FANTASY THAT IS SPIRITUAL THAT IS EMOTIONAL THAT IS YOU KNOW IT YOU NO LONGER NEED TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE APPEAL OF IT. YOU FEEL IT I THINK IN A CERTAIN WAY AND I THINK BEING A CHARACTER AS BELOVED AS 3PO WOULD IN A LOT OF WAYS EXPLAIN THAT FOR YOU yes and I SORT OF PICK OUT THIS THIS COMMUNALITY OF BELIEF OR INTEREST IF YOU LIKE FOOTBALL COMES ALMOST NEAR TO IT THAT'S AN AROUND THE GLOBE UH PHENOMENON YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN RESPOND TO YOU KNOW HAD A CAB DRIVER LAST NIGHT FROM AFGHANISTAN WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHICH FOOTBALL TEAM I SUPPORTED YOU SEE WITH STAR WARS THERE IS A HUGE COMMON KNOWLEDGE A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING NOW IT'S NO GOOD ASKING ME IF GUIDO SHOULD HAVE SHOT HIM FIRST OR VICE VERSA BECAUSE FRANKLY YOU KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO WALK AWAY IF YOUR HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. BUT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THAT BUT THE GOOD AND THE BAD AND THE SITH THE GOOD SIDE THE DARK SIDE ALL THAT SORT OF THING IS ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTING AND FOR KIDS PARTICULARLY THE JOURNEY OF LUKE SKYWALKER IS PRETTY SEMINAL YOU KNOW SORT OF WHAT RIGHTS OF PASSAGE. STORY UM WHICH IS ARCATYPAL IT'S FULL OF ARCHETYPES AND THEY THERE ARCHETYPES BECAUSE WE RELATE TO THEM I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE FACT THAT IT WAS A CONCEPTUAL DRAWING BY RALPH MACQUARIE THAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN THE PART IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU DIDN'T LIKE SCIENCE FICTION NECESSARILY YOU HAD WALKED OUT ON 2001 AND YOU HAD ALSO IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN HAD READ THE INITIAL SCRIPT AND COULD MAKE VERY LITTLE SENSE OF IT YEAH MEETING GEORGE I KIND OF EXPLAINED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT SCI-FI THAT ID ASK FOR MY MONEY BACK BUT FOR 2001 BUT I HAD LOVED THE VOICE OF HAL THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THE VERY THREATENING YOUR HURTING ME DAVE SORT OF YOU KNOW YOU SEE THAT FILM NOW WELL HE SHOWED IT TO ME ON 35 MILLIMETER BECAUSE BACK THEN BELIEVE IT OR NOT 30 YEARS AGO THERE WAS NO VIDEO DIDN'T EXIST AT ALL. NOW WHAT'S HAPPENED WERE PUTTING ALL THAT STUFF IN A LANDFILL NOBODIES YOU KNOW MY LOCAL VIDEO STORE I WENT IN THERE. WE DON'T DO VIDEO ANYMORE IT'S ALL ON DISC AND I. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T DO IT IT'S CALLED THE VIDEO STORE WE'VE MOVED ON IN 30 YEARS THAT TECHNOLOGY AND OF COURSE WE SEE THAT IN GEORGES FILMS TOO. BUT I DIDN'T I WASN'T INTERESTED AND IT WAS THE LITERALLY AND IT SOUNDS ALMOST FAY TO SAY THIS THE STORY OF ME SEEING RALPH MACQUARIE'S PICTURE WHICH IS HERE IN THE EXHIBIT NEXT TO ME UM IT, IT SPOKE TO ME SOMEHOW I DON'T KNOW WHY NO PICTURE SPOKEN TO ME LIKE THAT BEFORE OR SINCE BUT MAYBE ONCE IS MAYBE ONCE IN A LIFETIME AND 3PO SORT OF QUESTIONING RATHER SAD RATHER UH DESOLATE FACE LOOKING OUT YOU KNOW ALL HE'S GOT IS THIS LITTLE BUNDLE OF OF WIRES UM AS A THING THAT EVENTUALLY WOULD BECOME R2D2 THIS STRANGE LITTLE BOX WITH LEGS ON IF THAT'S HIS FRIEND I MEAN HE NEEDS ANOTHER FRIEND DOESN'T HE RIGHT I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IT WAS ABOUT THAT THOUGH THAT, THAT CHANGED YOUR OPINION SO DRASTICALLY ON AN IMAGE THAT IS SITTING BEHIND THE DIRECTOR I THINK IT WAS HIS FOR LONG QUALITY THAT MADE ME WANT TO GO OR JUST SAY IT WILL BE OKAY I'LL BE WITH YOU I'LL LOOK AFTER YOU. BUT HE'S LOOKED AFTER ME ALL THESE YEARS HE'S TAKEN ME ALL AROUND THE WORLD QUITE A FEW TIMES AND THERE ARE TIMES I LOOK AT HIM IN SOME OF THE MOVIES CERTAINLY SOME OF THE ORIGINAL ONES AND SOMEHOW THAT FOR LONG LOSS QUALITY STAYED THERE. CAUSE YOU KNOW HE'S ALWAYS AT THE WRONG PLACE THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE ALWAYS BAD PEOPLE ARENT NICE TO HIM ALWAYS YOU KNOW HAN SOLO CAN BE PRETTY BRUTAL. LUKE SKYWALKER WAS ALWAYS VERY CHARMING YEAH AND UH I ENJOY THE CHALLENGE ACTUALLY I REALLY HATE IT WHEN ACTORS SAY IT'S LIKE OH GOD YOUR ONLY AN ACTOR WHAT DO YOU MEAN CHALLENGE BRING UP A FAMILY OF 6 THAT'S A CHALLENGE UM THE CHALLENGE WAS TO CREATE A BOND BETWEEN ME AND A BOX BECAUSE ON STAGE WHEN I WAS BEING R AND G HANSON GILLS. THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD EYES WHO SPOKE WHO RELATED TO WHO UH RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS ETCETERA, HAD EXPRESSION. HERE I WAS TRYING TO CREATE THAT SAME THING WITH A BOX IT WAS ALWAYS TOTALLY SILENT APART FROM THE WEARING IT'S MOTORS UM OFTEN THERE WERE IN SOME SCENES EVEN 2 BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER AT THIS ONE AND THEN GO OH WHAT AR YOU DOING AND LOOK AT ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE CAUSE IT HARDLY IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE IT ABOUT DID YOU WRITE DIALOGUE FOR R2D2 SO YOU WOULD HAVE SOMEONE FOR WHOM YOU COULD CONVERSE BECAUSE I ASSUME FOR YOU IT WAS VERY LONELY ACTING. IT WAS HUGELY LONELY AND YES I DID BECAUSE IN MY HEAD NORMALLY IF YOUR DOING A SCENE UM MY WORDS WOULD CAUSE YOU TO RESPOND WHICH WOULD CAUSE ME TO RESPOND AND WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A DIALOGED WHERE HERE I WAS MAKING A DIALOGUE OUT OF A MONOLOGUE OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND YOU WORK IT OUT. BUT I DID IN THE END JUST WRITE OUT YOU KNOW WHERE ARE YOU GOING. WELL I'M GOING OVER THERE, BUT BUT YOU KNOW CAUSE THERE WAS SETTLEMENT. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THERE'S A SETTLEMENT OVER THERE. IT GOT TO BE SLIGHTLY IRRITATING AND I DID AT ONE POINT ASK GEORGE TO IF HE COULD NOT GO I SAID COULD YOU YOU KNOW CALL TO THE CAMERA COULD YOU LIKE GO BEEP OR SOMETHING AND I TOLD THIS STORY MANY TIMES PERHAPS. CAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT I SAID TO REMEMBER THE WHOLE THING AND GEORGE WENT. OH SURE. THAT WAS IT SO WE STARTED THE SCENE AGAIN AND YOU KNOW WHERE ARE YOU GOING OH UM OR, BEEP. IT'S LIKE FORGET IT GEORGE JUST DO WHATEVER YOUR DOING AND FROM THEN ON LITERALLY I WOULD GET IN THE HABIT OF IN MY HEAD HAVING A PAGE OF SCRIPT UM BECAUSE I'VE GOT ENOUGH GOING ON THERE TO WORK OUT HOW TO PHYSICALLY CREATE A UH AND EXPRESSION IF YOU LIKE CAUSE THE FACE DOESN'T MOVE I WILL NEVER FORGET SEEING STAR WARS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME AND I WILL NEVER FORGET FINDING OUT THAT THERE WAS IN FACT A MAN INSIDE C3PO THAT THERE WAS A GUY INSIDE R2D2 FOR THAT MATTER AS IT TURNS OUT ANTHONY DANIELS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC ACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STAR WARS EVEN MY 4 YEAR OLD KNOWS WHO HE IS IN FACT HE WAS TOO AFRAID TO MEET HIM WHEN WE DID THIS INTERVIEW WHEN WE COME BACK TO HIGHER DEFINITION MORE WITH C3PO ANTHONY DANIELS

ANTHONY DANIELS LOVES TELLING STORIES ABOUT MAKING STAR WARS ALTHOUGH OVER THE YEARS HE HAS GOTTEN TIRED OF TELLING THE SAME OLD STORIES ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW IS HE SAYS THINGS I HAVE NEVER HEARD HIM SAY BEFORE HE IS A MAN WHO HAS A GREAT DEAL OF INTERSECTION ABOUT PLAYING A ROBOT. HERE'S A SMALL NOTE OF TRIVIA ABOUT ANTHONY DANIELS HE HAS THE VERY FIRST LINE OF STAR WARS A NEW HOPE AND THE VERY LAST LINE OF REVENGE OF THE SITH. NOW HERE'S ANTHONY DANIELS TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO HIM TO PLAY C3PO HOW IN FACT THAT GOLDEN PROTOCOL DROID KIND OF TALKS TO HIM SO HERE HE IS MORE OF ANTHONY DANIELS TALKING TO US ABOUT STAR WARS AND C3PO

DID YOU HEAR THAT THEY SHOT DOWN THE MAIN REACTOR WE'LL BE DESTROYED FOR SURE. THIS IS MADNESS. FOR MANY YEARS YOU SEEMED TO BE THE ONE ACTOR IN STAR WARS WHO ELEGANTLY AND THOUGHTFULLY AND VERY EXCESSIVELY DETAILS THE EXPERIENCE OF MAKING THE FILM AND BEING PART OF IT BECAUSE YOU HAD DONE SO MANY ESSAYS AND SO MANY PIECES FOR DIFFERENT STAR WARS PUBLICATIONS OVER THE YEARS AND YOU'VE WRITTEN THE INTRODUCTION FOR THE BOOK COMPANYING THIS EXHIBIT THAT THERE IS THIS SORT OF PROPRIETORSHIP THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN HOW WELL YOU PUT IT AND IT'S NOT PROPRIETARILY IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S MINE BECAUSE IT CLEARLY ISN'T MINE BUT I DO HAVE A SENSE OF UM THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND SOMETIMES I WORRY WHEN IT ALL GETS TRIVIALIZED A BIT WITHER IT'S I DON'T KNOW BUT IN SOME WAYS IT CAN BE. I MIND WHEN ANY ACTOR LET'S DOWN EITHER THEIR CRAFT OR THE THE SUBJECT THERE INVOLVED IN AND I DO WRITE I'M A BIT OF A WORD SMOOTH AS OPPOSED TO A WRITER I'M A BETTER EDITOR THEN A WRITER I THINK. UM BUT I LIKE TO AMUSE PEOPLE EITHER VERBALLY IN WRITING OR PUTTING THINGS IN A NEAT WAY ALL TRUE AND SOME OF THE THINGS ARE SO WACKY THAT PEOPLE PROBABLY THINK THEY ARENT TRUE I USED TO WRITE A COLUMN I DO HAVE THE WEBSITE ANTHONY DANIALS.COM WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF JOURNALISTIC IT'S GREAT IT I HAVE TO SAY IT'S A PHENOMINAL WEBSITE THERE'S SOMETHING SORT OF WHIMSICAL AND FERRY TAIL LIKE IN YOUR WRITING IN YOUR EXPERIENCE ABOUT MAKING A VERY ARDUOUS FILM FOR YOU CAUSE IT WAS BY NO MEANS EASY. IT WAS ARDUOUS AND IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU KNOW WHEN ACTORS SAY IT'S A CHALLENGE HE'S A YOU KNOW LIGHTEN UP GET REAL BUT IT WAS ARDUOUS UH THE FIRST FILM FIRST OF ALL TUNISYEAR FRANKLY IS A DUMP AND UH THE TUNISIAN TOURIST BOARD WILL BE VERY CRASS BUT YOU'VE DONE A GREAT DEAL FOR THEM ALREADY YES BOY HAS IT CHANGED YOU KNOW TOZUR THIS DASTLY LITTLE ONE CAMEL TOWN UM YOU KNOW ON DAY I MAY HAVE WRITTEN IT SOMEWHERE ON DAY ONE OF DRIVING TO THE SET WITH MARK HAMMEL I KIND OF NOTICED A DEAD DOG LYING BY THE ROADSIDE AND I THOUGHT THAT'S SAD AND THEN IS SAW THIS LITTLE PILE OF PALM LEAVES MOVE AND EYES LOOKED OUT AS WE DROVE BY IN THE DAWN LIGHT YOU KNOW AND I THOUGHT THAT'S A LITTLE SCARY DAY 2 THE SAME THING HAPPENED THE DOG WAS STILL THERE AND I THOUGHT OH. DAY 3, DAY 4 I DIDN'T LOOK BECAUSE AND THAT WAS THE KIND OF CONDITIONS WE WERE IN AND IT WASN'T GREAT UH IT WAS ARDUOUS THE RAIN POURED ON THE SET FOR THE FIRST TIME IT RAINED IN THE DESERT FOR 50 YEARS IT WAS THAT KIND OF SCENARIO IT WAS GRUELING IN LONDON WE WENT BACK IT WAS THE HOTTEST SUMMER IN HISTORY AND I WAS IN THE COSTUME THAT'S INSIDE THIS EXHIBIT. AND I KNOW IT WOULD KILL ME TO DO THAT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE GOT HEAT EXHAUSTION I USED TO COME OUT LOBSTER RED SO UNATTRACTIVE AND ALL YOU HAVE TO ALSO REMEMBER ALL DAY YOU KNOW MARK AND KERRY AND UH HARRISON FORD GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE TO START WITH. YOU KNOW NATURES BEEN NICE TO THEM AND THE FIRST THING I WOULD SEE WOULD BE MARK IN A CHAIR HAVING MAKEUP PUT ON AND CARRIE WHATEVER AND I'D JUST GO ON AND PUT ON MY STUFF AND WAIT TO DRESS UP PROPERLY AND ALL DAY PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE PRIMPING THEM AND ALL DAY I WAS JUST GETTING MORE AND MORE DISGUSTING AND SORT OF AGH. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY LOOKED PRETTY GOOD STILL AND I JUST LOOKED LIKE UH A RAG AND THAT DOESN'T DO A LOT FOR YOUR EGO BUT SEE THE COSTUME ALMOST KILLED YOU AT ONE POINT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN A BATTERY PACK WENT HAYWIRE WELL TO SAY IT KILL ME IS A BIT OF AN EXADURATION ALMOST BURNED YOU I WAS GETTING THIS EXRODANIRY PAIN IN MY BACK AND FINALLY I WENT OW AND THEY WORKED OUT THIS BATTERY PACK FOR THE EYES AND IT SHORTED OUT AND WASN'T ACTUALLY BURNING ME UH THE OTHER THINGS HAPPENED I MEAN I DID FALL OVER ONCE IN THE FIRST FILM ONCE IS ALL YOU NEED FELL INTO THE SANIA IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT IT WAS LIKE WORKING IN AN HOUR GLASS YOU KNOW ONE FOOT SINKS DOWN INTO THE SAND THAT'S IT, SO I JUST STIFFENED UP AND JUST I'VE FALLEN OVER IN THE OTHER MOVIES VARIOUS REASONS LIKE PEOPLE PUTTING THINGS IN MY WAY OR THAT KIND OF THING OR FALLING OVER A DOORSTEP BECAUSE I CAN ONLY SEE STRAIGHT AHEAD OF ME I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING LOW DOWN OFTEN I WAS TALKING TO R2 HE WAS UTTERLY INVISIBLE BECAUSE HAD I LOOKED I WOULD HAVE DONE EVERYTHING AT THIS ANGLE. I TROT ON AN EWOK ONCE BECAUSE THAT EWOK WASN'T DOING WHAT WE REHASHED WE HAD A SPARE IT WAS ALRIGHT SO THAT WASN'T A PROBLEM BUT I JUST IT'S ASTOUNDING TO ME I THINK AS A KID I BELIEVED 3P0 HAD FACIAL EXPRESSIONS A LOT OF PEOPLE DO AND IT'S BECAUSE GEORGE WANTED ME TO BE PART OF THE MOVIE BECAUSE I COULD DO MIME AND WITH MIME YOU WORK OUT ALL THE BITS OF YOUR BODY NOT YOUR FACE YOU KNOW OFTEN WE WOULD DO EXERCISES WITH A BLANK MASK ON AND YOU CREATE, TO CREATE SADNESS VERY EASY IT'S KIND OF INSTANTLY WE KNOW IT'S SOMETHING IS WRONG. AND WE DID A LOT OF WORK ALL THE THINGS THAT COME FROM THE CENTER OF YOUR BODY SO I JUST HAD TO TRICK IT UP ARE THERE MOMENTS WHEN WERE SITTING HERE AS YOU WALK BY IN THE COURSE OF BEING HERE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS WHEN YOU STOP AND YOU DON'T NOTICE 3P0 AND ARE THERE MOMENTS WHEN YOU STOP AND DO YOU LOOK AT THE COSTUME AND THINK SORT OF THIS FINE LINE IT IS ODD THAT HE IS SORT OF MY DOPPELGANGER PEOPLE SAY YOU KNOW AM I LIKE 3P0 OR IS HE LIKE YOU WE SHARE CERTAIN ASPECTS BUT THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF HIM THAT ENJOY HUGELY THE MAIN THING I ALWAYS LIKED ABOUT HIM WHICH IS IN THE SCRIPT AND THAT'S HIS LOYALTY HUGE LOYAL TO ME HE'S A VERY VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT LOYALTY AND AFFECTION AND HE HAS THEM YOU KNOW HIS AFFECTION FOR R2 WHICH IN A VERY ENGLISH WAY CANNOT BE SPOKEN OF. IT BE YOU KNOW ENGLISH PEOPLE YOU CAN'T SAY YOU LIKE SOMEBODY CAUSE THAT'S LIKE TOO INTIMATE IT'S LIKE RUDE YOU KNOW SO YOU JUST TREAT THEM BAD YOU GIVE THEM ATTENTION AND THAT IS FRIENDSHIP LOYALTY TO ME SPREADS RIGHT THROUGH MY LIFE THROUGH HIS LIFE AND UH I RESPECT HIM ENORMOUSLY FOR THAT I'M SEEING AS I LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER A REFLECTION OF HIM IN A CASE BEHIND YOU AND HE'S KIND OF LISTENING TO ME AND I DON'T KNOW I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THESE FILMS IF I WASN'T SO FOND OF HIM. AND ESPECIALLY AS YOU KNOW THERE WAS A DIFFICULTY ABOUT MY VOICE IN THESE FILMS BECAUSE ON ON DAY ONE I WAS TRYING TO SAY BINARY LOAD LIFTERS. WHY SIR MY FIRST JOB WAS PROGRAMMING BINARY LOAD LIFTERS VERY SIMILAR TO YOUR EVAPORATORS IN MANY RESPECTS. WELL I COULDN'T SAY IT I MEAN WHAT IS A BINARY LOAD LIFTER. AND I KEPT STOPPING I KEPT CUTTING INSTEAD OF THINKING UM WHAT I WOULD DO AND GEORGE WINDED UP AND SAID YOU KNOW AFTER THE THIRD TAKE. UM LISTEN JUST DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE VOICE YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING YOU LIKE WE'LL FIX IT LATER AND WHAT HE MEANT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHAT I MEANT SO I GOT THROUGH THE LINES AND UM 6 MONTHS LATER I WALKED INTO A STUDIO IN HOLLYWOOD TO PUT MY VOICE ON AND THE ENGENEER SAID WOW YOU GOT HERE CAUSE YOU KNOW WE WERE A COUPLE MONTHS TRYING TO FIND A VOICE FOR YOU CHARACTER CAUSE GEORGE REALLY HATES YOUR PERF. OH HI GEORGE. AND I WAS ACTUALLY I WAS TAKING IT BACK THAT'S FOR SURE. AND GEORGE SHOW UP WELL I NEVER THOUGHT OF HIM BEING A BRITISH BUTLER. SO HE ASKED ME TO DO ONE THING WHICH WAS TO SAY NOT TO SAY SHEDULE BUT TO SAY SCHEDULE. NUMBER 5 DETENTION BLOCK AA23 I'M AFRAID SHE'S SCHEDULED TO BE TERMINATED AS YOU HAVE NO DOUBT NOTICED THROUGHOUT THIS INTERVIEW ANTHONY DANIELS ON OCCASION BROKE INTO THE C3PO VOICE IT IS NOT SOMETHING HE DOES VERY OFTEN HE CONSIDERS IT BASICALLY A PARTY TRICK AND DOESN'T LIKE TO DO IT BUT FOR US WELL ANTHONY DANIELS WAS FOR A MOMENT C3P0 I REALLY DUG THIS INTERVIEW AND I HOPE YOU DID AS WELL. AND IF YOU WANNA SE MORE OF THESE STAR WARS WHERE SCIENCE MEETS IMAGINATION EXHIBIT FEEL FREE TO VISIT FORT WORTH I'M SURE THEY WOULD LOVE THEIR VISIT IT'S THERE THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER. COMING UP NEXT ON HIGHER DEFINITION I WILL TELL YOU WHO'S COMING UP NEXT ON WHAT ELSE BUT HIGHER DEFINITION

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF HIGHER DEFINITION WE GO FROM ONE FAMOUS ENGLISHMAN TO ANOTHER JAMES BLUNT. NO THIS IS NOT TRUE MUSIC JAMES BLUNT IS THE SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY BY MY OLD FRIEND STEVEN CANTOR CALLED RETURN TO KOSOVO IT IS IN FACT ABOUT JAMES BUNT'S TIME IN KOSOVO ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND JAMES BLUNT STILL DOES THINK YOUR BEAUTIFUL AND SO DO I AND IF YOU THINK I'M BEAUTIFUL OR OTHERWISE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW AT HIGHER DEFINITION AT HD.NET. TELL NEXT TIME MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU I'M ROBERT WILONSKY AND I'LL SEE YOU NEXT ON HIGHER DEFINITION.

(MUFFLED) SHE TOOK A POLAROID PICTURE OF ME AND I SAY (MUFFLED) AND SHE HELD IT UP IN FRONT OF ME. I (MUFFLED) AND SHE HELD THE POLAROID THERE AND I LOOKED AT WHO I WAS FINALLY AT WHO I HAD BECOME. SHE PUT IT AWAY AND I CARRIED ON