Anthony Daniels Talks Star Wars: Rebels and Episode 7.

anthony-daniels

Anthony Daniels spoke with Entertainment Weekly and discussed his upcoming appearance in Disney XD’s series Star Wars Rebels. He also shared his thoughts on the prequels and revealed what it is like to work with George Lucas. Also the actor briefly touched on Episode VII and his costume…

 

Excerpts from EW:

 

On Star Wars Rebels:

I’m very happy to say I’m involved in another take on Star Wars. I think it’s very inventive that people — writers, producers, production, and directors, they can come up with some new angle that will give audiences another way into the story. Because Star Wars has always had a backstory. The first one, Episode IV, launched the story out of nowhere — [the story was told] as if audiences all knew what [the characters] were talking about. Certainly I didn’t, but intelligent audiences went, “Oh yeah, this is cool, this is real.” Similarly, even with an animated series, it fills in some of that history that would have happened whether you saw it onscreen or not.

 

It’s very elusive and I’ll tell you: It’s where we’re going now with Episode VII. We’re all back. And it’s great, actually, that Rebels is set before Episode IV because that film is quintessential basic, “This is Star Wars.” And you know George always used to say every time I arrived on set, I would always arrive for the first time back on set in costume, and during the prequels George would say when I arrived on set that “Star Wars has arrived” — because I was the old fashioned link. Rebels is is an old fashion link to the old fashion film, which which we all loved. And you will love Episode VII — I have electrodes strapped to my head to zap me if I say anything more about it.

 

STAR-WARS-REBELS

 

On Episode VII:

I will tell you that when [director] J.J. Abrams rang me to ask about filming Episode VII, one of the first things he said after he told me how wonderful I was — and that didn’t take long — but he then said, “Would you be interested in being in the film just doing the voice?” I said, “No,” and he said, “Right!” He knew I’d say that. There’s no way I would just do the voice. I also said that it can’t be the same suit. I will tell you that the team then got together and built a new suit. They made an entirely new look-a-like with changes that you will never notice [on screen] that made my life a lot easier. I can get it on and off very quickly.

 

Having been in the studio today [shooting Episode VII], I’m actually quite tired because Threepio is an exhausting character — he’s always very tense, he’s always slightly on the edge of panic. That’s why he’s funny, because he’s always in the wrong place. I record each piece three times in a row, so the director can choose without interrupting too much. I’m actually looking right now at one of the art renditions for Rebels because Threepio is newly designed and gives him a really nice look.

 

For the whole interview go to Entertainment Weekly

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

Born on April 24, 1980.

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

43 thoughts on “Anthony Daniels Talks Star Wars: Rebels and Episode 7.

  • September 17, 2014 at 4:24 pm
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    Good to know that the entire Star Wars universe is held together by C3PO.

    • September 18, 2014 at 6:35 am
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      this interview sounds like an old man reminiscing about the good old days…

      …now that I think about it, that’s what Episode VII sounds like too.

      • September 18, 2014 at 8:11 am
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        …and I’m sure you’ll still enjoy the movie. You might even be the first in line. Go ahead and still complain until then, but we know deep down you can’t wait like everyone else.

      • September 19, 2014 at 10:53 am
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        Not as much as you claim. He seems very candid about the prequels, Ewoks, and the dialogue. I kind of wish they would have posted the entire interview, but at least there is a link.

  • September 17, 2014 at 4:40 pm
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    I like the fact the C3PO and R2D2 are the glue that holds the story together. They were there witnessing the fall of the republic and the rise of the empire to the rebels destroying the second death star and beyond. This saga needed likable characters to be there in the different time periods and what better then droids, they technically never age and can be rebuilt when destroyed. And Anthony Daniels gets what makes Star Wars great.

    • September 18, 2014 at 5:23 pm
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      Likable and funny characters yes! Its still a shock to me why Lucas felt he needed another comical character like Jar Jar, when R2D2 and Threepio stood right in front of him on the PT.

  • September 17, 2014 at 4:44 pm
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    Interesting comment bout redesigned suit. Hope he means it when he says you wont notice on screen

  • September 17, 2014 at 4:50 pm
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    Wooooh!! Waaaah!! This is……… Nothing again 🙁

    We want whatever… a teaser poster with a shadow, with a hype slogan, whatever. This is a torture everyday. I had high expectations Han Solo photos would appear after last on-location shooting, but NOTHING!

    • September 17, 2014 at 5:26 pm
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      Quick, somebody change this kid’s diaper. -_-

      • September 17, 2014 at 6:35 pm
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        Lol,
        I’m sure I’m not the only kid in the room!

        • September 17, 2014 at 7:07 pm
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          All right. At least you admit it. I’ll give you that! =P

  • September 17, 2014 at 5:03 pm
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    “One of the first things he said after he told me how wonderful I was”

    lol, wow, no shame.

  • September 17, 2014 at 5:06 pm
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    Anthony Daniels definitely understands what makes Star Wars great, and I’m sure the Sequel Trilogy will be a little better with more Threepio. When I see C-3PO on screen for the first time in Episode VII, it will elicit me saying, “Star Wars has arrived.”

  • September 17, 2014 at 5:26 pm
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    Awesome. “Stay on target” jj!! 🙂

  • September 17, 2014 at 5:33 pm
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    There’s only one C3PO

    • September 17, 2014 at 7:46 pm
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      Dah da, da da da da da, da da!

  • September 17, 2014 at 6:25 pm
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    What, no drone/quadcopter spy videos today?
    Good, it’s a step too far if you ask me.

    I’m a bit surprised JJ even asked if he’d consider doing the voice only. Maybe he was thinking of putting a younger actor in the suit so he could throw him around a bit more, or whether he was considering doing him CG or motion capture? I wonder what they were planning?

    • September 17, 2014 at 6:41 pm
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      Sounds like JJ was just giving him the option to do voice-only, out of respect for his age maybe, but who knows how the conversation went.

    • September 17, 2014 at 10:11 pm
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      JJ was just joking, he knew that Daniels was going to say what he said!

  • September 17, 2014 at 6:26 pm
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    Love the character of C3PO, but have no time whatsoever for Anthony Daniels as a person. His attitude and treatment towards Kenny Baker and reportedly fans over the years has been quite awful. He seems to have quite an ego for someone who is only well know for one role. The guy should learn to be a bit more humble and less of a diva.

    • September 17, 2014 at 6:54 pm
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      C3P0 is also a bit of a diva who mistreats Kenny Baker…

    • September 17, 2014 at 7:05 pm
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      Kill him off in VIII.

      • September 18, 2014 at 1:07 pm
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        As a droid he is hard to kill off. Even if he is blasted to atoms they could subsequently claim that there was a back-up of his memory and mind-patterns on a harddrive somewhere, and they could simply upload it to a new, identical droid body.

        • September 18, 2014 at 5:26 pm
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          As far as I’ve seen from the movies, that technology doesn’t exist, so they could easily not allow that. Blow him up in a ship or otherwise destroy his metal body beyond repair, and that’s that.

          **IF** it’s going to happen, make it meaningful and memorable.

  • September 17, 2014 at 6:56 pm
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    He is by far the most rude of all the Star Wars actors. I love him as c-3po, but he is one rude dude!

    • September 18, 2014 at 2:45 am
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      I met him a few years ago at a convention and he was really cool. He quizzed me on the picture I had picked out for him to sign.

  • September 17, 2014 at 7:06 pm
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    I went to see him once years ago for an autograph. Never again. No sooner did he sign did he tell me to move for the next person. It made me feel bad and I didn’t even know how to reply to that. That and from what I’ve heard and read he seems like a real idiot that just doesn’t know any better.

    • September 18, 2014 at 2:36 am
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      Well, if there were 150 people behind you, and instead of moving on you started gushing about how great you think Threepio is, it would be somewhat understandable. But I don’t know the exact circumstances, of course.

  • September 17, 2014 at 7:11 pm
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    I read lots online about him being rude, but also read lots about him being nice. So who knows what’s what. Maybe his Britishness comes over as rude? A while back on here people said Kenny baker may be too ill to be r2. Did he get better? If people have had positive Daniels meetings – share- I don’t want to watch sw thinking he isn’t nice, so would be good to hear from people who met him what he is like.

    • September 17, 2014 at 7:17 pm
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      Trust me – it has nothing to do with being British and everything to do with daniel’s lack of social skills, to put it as nicely as I can!

      • September 17, 2014 at 8:27 pm
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        It doesn’t have anything to do with him being British.
        He’s simply just an asshole sometimes.

        Still love the character 3PO though!!! 🙂

  • September 17, 2014 at 9:23 pm
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    lol@all these negative comments about Daniels’ personality.

    Speaking from personal experience, the guy was much nicer to me than Kenny Baker (met them both in SW conventions). Unlike his character, Anthony Daniels is not a robot. He’s human, thus he’s as prone to like/dislike people as the next guy.

    So maybe he was in a better mood that day I met him, or he liked me better than he did all you folks badmouthing him here, but w/e the case, I’ve nothing to say but good things about the guy.

  • September 18, 2014 at 12:08 am
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    i really do not like mr im star wars . team kenny barker!

  • September 18, 2014 at 12:16 am
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    So what if Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker don’t get along? Much of the time, the relationship between Threepio and R2 is pretty strained as well. Call it method acting!

  • September 18, 2014 at 12:38 am
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    “Similarly, even with an animated series, it fills in some of that history that would have happened whether you saw it onscreen or not. It’s very elusive and I’ll tell you: It’s where we’re going now with Episode VI.”

    Okay, what can we make of this? It seems episode VII (not VI!) will somehow build on a backstory that in hindsight we will be able to discern is already present somewhere in the existing six movies, but very subtly so. Just possibly, this lends some credence to the Darth Plagueis speculations.

    • September 19, 2014 at 11:42 am
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      I don’t see where he mentioned Episode VI in that quote. It seemed to me that he was saying that the look and feel of Star Wars is elusive, or difficult to capture on screen, but Rebels and Episode VII are going to have that tone.

  • September 18, 2014 at 2:12 am
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    I thought Dave Prowse was bad until I met Daniels. I don’t even want to say what he did it was so embarrassing – for him!

  • September 18, 2014 at 7:46 am
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    A thought has just past my mind 😮 don’t you think ” The Making of Star Wars 7 ” will be a fantastic watch?

  • September 18, 2014 at 11:03 am
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    I am going to meet both Daniels AND Baker at Jedi-Con Düsseldorf/Germany in early October. It’s going to be interesting…

    I remain open, everybody has a bad day somtimes…

  • September 18, 2014 at 8:28 pm
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    There should be physical upgrades well.

  • September 18, 2014 at 8:36 pm
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    Upvote for Team Daniels!

  • September 18, 2014 at 8:36 pm
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    And upvote this one for Team Baker!

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