See Threepio’s memoir
Anthony Daniels looks back on “Star Wars.”
While “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” arrives in theaters this week for the holidays, Anthony Daniels is playing Santa Claus, gifting fans his own time spent in the galaxy far, far away to find under the Christmas tree.
“I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story” is the 73-year-old British actor’s memoir chronicling his more than 40 years spent on “Star Wars” sets playing the fan-favorite droid. The eccentric Threepio is fluent in 6 million forms of communication, and Daniels feels his book is just as universal.
“It’s a journey like everybody else’s. OK, different. But I think it might appeal to people who have faced struggles and serious doubts in their own life,” Daniels says. “Readers will go, ‘Oh, I know that feeling. I may not have had to wear a gold suit to do that but, yeah, there’s been times that have been difficult and there were times that are good.’ And as I say at some point near the end, I’ve survived long enough to really see the good coming to the fore.”
With a foreword by “Rise of Skywalker” director J.J. Abrams, “I Am C-3PO” tracks the three trilogies of “Star Wars” movies, back to George Lucas’ original 1977 film, and parallels different times in Daniels’ life. He discusses his relationships with fellow stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher, the literal ins and outs of the C-3PO suit, but also the hard times, especially just after “Star Wars” came out and Daniels didn’t get the same public recognition as his co-stars.
“There were some days that reawakened some old negative thoughts that I kind of relived and not in a good way,” Daniels says of writing his book. “In reading my thoughts about how painful it was, of course it reintroduces the pain. You put up with that for a couple of weeks and then you move on to the good bits.
“But I wanted to write a book that was frank enough to say, you know, it’s not all joy, but it does form part of the picture. And I wanted it not to be all just Pollyanna about it and say, ‘Everything’s wonderful! Everything’s awesome!’ Because for most people, it ain’t. But stick around and times change.”
The book gave Daniels a broader context about “what I did and what I saw and what I felt” but also made him think about the fans who’ve loved “Star Wars” movies for decades.
“I realize I’ve had such a completely different experience that I was never allowed see the films as they have,” Daniels says. “Now I am accepting their view of it. I’m moving away from my own stance and seeing it with a different perspective.”
Daniels reports that “Rise of Skywalker” is a worthy conclusion to the Skywalker saga, “an arpeggio of exquisite tonal quality.” But for him it all goes back to the magic Lucas created in weaving a new take on the classic good-vs.-evil tale.
“The world was ready for a new myth and it happened,” Daniels says. “Somehow, George connected people’s humanity and the struggles that we all face in dealing with our parents and parents dealing with kids and the choices that young people make. If you have a choice, make a good choice for the right reasons and don’t be suckered into stuff you don’t want to know about because you’re gonna meet people on your journey who are not after your good. They’re out for themselves.
“So you have to be a wise traveler through your life. And George somehow put that in a box and put a sticker that said ‘Star Wars’ on it.”