Anthony Daniels Biography

Anthony only ever wanted to be a professional actor. But England in the 1950's and 60's was not a land where acting was considered a safe profession. Parental influence guided him to a real career - the law.

Two years of study proved Anthony didn't want to be a lawyer. He sought satisfaction in amateur dramatics. But it wasn't enough. So he took a small bequest and turned it into his ticket to acting school for the next three years. There, Anthony was lucky to have excellent teachers in the mime and radio departments, two fields of art that would stand him in good stead in the future.

Leaving college in 1974, Anthony won a BBC Radio Award, which gave him a place in their Drama Company. After hundreds of productions, he left to go into theatre, shortly joining the National Theatre of Great Britain at The Young Vic. He toured abroad with them as well as acting in their London home. It was whilst playing in Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, that he got the call to meet George Lucas about a sci-fi movie.

Anthony was one of hundreds invited to meet the director. Given the difficulties of the proposed costume, Lucas was interested in Anthony's acting and mime skills. Anthony on the other hand wasn't interested at all. Having once demanded his money back on seeing 2001 - A Space Odyssey, he had never been attracted by the world of sci-fi. He refused the interview, not wishing to waste Lucas's time. Or indeed his own.

Coerced by his agent, Anthony did meet the director. But it was a concept painting of the character that actually gained his interest. He found the script incomprehensible but liked the golden droid and so was thrilled to be given the role.

The next day he was covered in plaster to make a mold of his body, the first step in creating the now globally recognised character. Six months later the costume was almost ready and filming began.

Anthony gave his performance without comment from the director. Later, Lucas would spend months trying to replace Anthony's vocal performance with the voices of various Hollywood actors. Eventually he decided nothing fitted the original like the original and generously asked Anthony to rerecord his own character voice.

The success of the original Star Wars originally eluded Anthony, as the company chose to suppress the human input of the mechanical man. This, and the physical problems of wearing such an uncomfortable suit made Anthony reluctant to participate further.

But adjustments were made so he happily filmed The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. His participation in The Phantom Menace was as an off-camera voice; not a satisfying method of characterisation, so he took over the arduous puppetry of the 'naked' C-3PO for Attack Of The Clones, once again providing live action and voice. Fully gold and shining in Episode III, The Revenge of the Sith, Anthony is the only actor to feature in all six Star Wars films.

Anthony has been involved in many of the spin-offs. Amongst other events, as the character he performed in the three radio dramatisations, tap-danced on The Muppet Show, promoted measles and polio vaccines, wrote and produced anti-smoking commercials, danced with Donny and Marie Osmond, took part in the Oscar Ceremonies, befriended Big Bird on Sesame Street filmed and voiced the animated figure in Disney's Star Tours ride, became a breakfast cereal, Kellogg's C-3POs, conducted the London Symphony and the Boston Pops Orchestra and had his own cartoon series, Droids.

Anthony has written extensively about his experiences especially in his 'New Improved Wonder Column' (See under Journalism on this site) in the original Star Wars Insider, He produced his first comic book for Dark Horse, The Protocol Offensive. His writing skills were harnessed by Hasbro Interactive for their Monopoly Star Wars CD ROM.

Although the Star Wars saga has formed a major part of Anthony's career, he has interspersed those movies with a variety of television and stage appearances. These range from situation comedies such as Square Deal and Three Up Two Down to more serious dramas such as Prime Suspect and Priestly's Dangerous Corner.

Anthony also works as a presenter/producer of trade events and conferences. He has worked as a producer/creative designer on The Westminster Experience, The Guinness Taste Sensation, Singapore's Volcanoland. Bahrain's Magic Island, Dubai's Encounter Zone and The London Dungeon.

Anthony has been proud to present the Art of Star Wars and Star Wars - Where Science Meets Imagination in their various locations around the world. He has hosted/narrated various symphonic events, especially Star Wars In Concert in its American and European tours. He is currently working on the animated series The Clone Wars.

Anthony is a visiting scholar at the Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. He is the proud holder of a Blue Peter Gold Badge. He lives in London, England.

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