Question about C3PO's costume (in TFA)

[Mr. Laser Beam]

IMDB says that, in Episode 7, they were originally going to use just Anthony Daniels' voice for C3PO but he insisted on actually getting into the costume for real. I thought he always HATED wearing the costume?

I mean, that one time he met Alan Tudyk, Daniels was so jealous of Tudyk being able to wear a simple motion-capture suit - vs. the uncomfortable C3PO suit - that Daniels cussed him out for it (Tudyk even said that getting a "Fuck you!" from Daniels was a high point of his career ).

So what's up? If Daniels hated wearing the costume so much because of how uncomfortable it is, you'd think he'd jump at the chance not to have to wear it...

 

[Set Harth]

I thought this was going to be about the stupid red arm.

 

[The Wormhole]

He probably saw how much more money he'd get for showing up on set and wearing the costume and thought "yeah, that makes it worth it."

 

[Tosk]

I also wouldn't be surprised if he felt a sense of ownership of the character, and decided that he didn't want to relinquish whatever level of control he had.

 

[Tallguy]

I thought it was going to be about the fact that 3PO wasn't metallic looking at all.

I'm sure Daniels hates the costume but he will take a bullet rather than let someone else wear it.

I think the only time I have EVER heard someone else even voice 3PO was in Phineas and Ferb. (Simon Pegg.)

 

[Sketcher]

Anthony Daniels' ego rivals that of William Shatner, George Takei, and Tom Baker. It doesn't seem like a stretch for him to complain but still refuse to relinquish his character to someone else.

 

[UssGlenn]

I also wouldn't be surprised if he felt a sense of ownership of the character, and decided that he didn't want to relinquish whatever level of control he had.

Exactly, he is C-3PO, just like Ford is Indiana Jones. Also as much as he dislikes the suit, he probably likes complaining about it more.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm sure Daniels hates the costume but he will take a bullet rather than let someone else wear it.

Even if "someone else" is CGI?

(which is what I interpreted that IMDB bit to mean - that no other actor would be wearing the costume, and C3PO's actual appearance would be through computer animation)

as much as he dislikes the suit, he probably likes complaining about it more.

That would not surprise me one single bit.

 

[fireproof78]

Exactly, he is C-3PO, just like Ford is Indiana Jones. Also as much as he dislikes the suit, he probably likes complaining about it more.

An actor being dramatic?

The hell you say!?

 

[Tuskin38]

I believe he said the TFA+ suit was more comfortable than the previous ones.

 

[Ithekro]

Still waiting on the "A Droid's Story" project.

 

[Reverend]

IMDB says that, in Episode 7, they were originally going to use just Anthony Daniels' voice for C3PO but he insisted on actually getting into the costume for real. I thought he always HATED wearing the costume?

I mean, that one time he met Alan Tudyk, Daniels was so jealous of Tudyk being able to wear a simple motion-capture suit - vs. the uncomfortable C3PO suit - that Daniels cussed him out for it (Tudyk even said that getting a "Fuck you!" from Daniels was a high point of his career ).

So what's up? If Daniels hated wearing the costume so much because of how uncomfortable it is, you'd think he'd jump at the chance not to have to wear it...

Pretty sure Tudyk has come out and said that whole thing with him & Daniels was just a bit they both played up for fun.

As for why he wanted back in the costume . . . I imagine he's just very protective of the role, and the role is more than just the voice. He was originally hired purely for the physical performance after all.

 

[arch101]

Daniels' performance is a big part of the character. Perhaps they couldn't convince him a CGI version could make the same gestures the same way he would.

 

[Tuskin38]

IIRC Daniels also coached the protocol droid actors on how to move like a droid in the Canto Bight scenes in TLJ.

 

[Tallguy]

Daniels' performance is a big part of the character. Perhaps they couldn't convince him a CGI version could make the same gestures the same way he would.

Which is silly. I saw him describe what it was like seeing C-3PO at Star Tours which was captured from his performance back in 1987 and him saying how eerie it was.

 

[Reverend]

Daniels' performance is a big part of the character. Perhaps they couldn't convince him a CGI version could make the same gestures the same way he would.

I don't think there was ever any question of Threepio being realised as a CG character in TFA, especially not after all the fuss they made about how they were "returning to practical effects!". The implication here (assuming the story is even true - IMDB is hardly an impeccable source of information) one would assume is that someone else would have worn the suit, with Daniels providing the voice.

There's a number of ways that could work, and still might if he ever gets to the point where he genuinely doesn't want to, or is unable to get in the suit any longer. The first being him recording the lines ahead of time, and have them played on set for the new mime artist to synch to. The second would be to have Daniels on-set, working directly with said artist to develop the performance between then, and delivering the lines from off-camera (and likely ADR them again in post for the sake of a clear audio track, but he does that already anyway.) And of course the final option being to simply have the mime artist deliver their performance how they and the director sees fit on the day, and only bringing in Daniels for ADR (as was done with James Earl Jones.)

On balance I'd say the second option would be the most preferable, though perhaps not always the most practical, leading ot he the first one being a fall-back for certain scenes (especially high action ones), with the third being a sort of last resort "fix it in post" type option. It's all academic at this point though. It may never come up again.