Anthony Daniels

THE DROID WHO’S BEEN THROUGH IT ALL

How’s c-3pO doing when we meet him in The Rise Of Skywalker?

He’s oK, because he is with people he trusts and likes and wants to take care of, but is having a tough time. He would much rather they weren’t in the situation they were in and instead on some quiet planet. A little gentle vegetation… but flat paths.

What was your last day on set like?

It really wasn’t easy. I held it together. The scene I was in, the other characters were doing all the talking. It did strike me as being wry that at last C-3Po was silent. There was this terrible silence as I got changed, and I walked out, and there was everybody waiting. I didn’t dare look at anybody. If I stopped for a second, it’d be like, “[mock tears] I don’t want to go!”

you were in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which went through a director change.

I was there with Ron Howard, and it was an amazing set. It did go on for a long time because it started off with Lord and Miller. What a way not to make a movie. And as a movie itself? Hmmm… I did it because it seemed fun to be in every Star Wars film, but there was no way C-3Po could be in it.

How does J.J. compare to george lucas?

They’re both geniuses, clearly. one of the differences is, George came up with the original idea, and so strongly, that those bedrock elements really do stay, whoever gets to mess with the script. George is much more of an internal, introverted person. J.J. has the ability to turn it on in a very genuine way.

They say there are some directors who would rather make a movie without actors.

George is one of them. He would rather you were a digitised figure. He doesn’t find it easy to talk to actors. I mean, why would you? Have you talked to one?