George Lucas Tried To Recast C-3PO's Voice After Star Wars Was Already Filmed
For the last 46 years, many "Star Wars" fans have likely wondered why C-3PO, a protocol droid that specializes in translation and in human/cyborg relations, would be so afraid. From his own description, C-3PO was constructed to be a diplomatic aide, helping politicians and envoys strike deals and communicate more smoothly. To make that android also cowardly, prissy, and miserable seems functionally counterintuitive. Shouldn't a diplomatic aide droid be logical, forthright, and obedient? Of course, in the 1999 film "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," it was revealed that C-3PO was constructed by an elementary school-aged Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) as little more than an idle home engineering exercise. So perhaps Anakin wasn't really thinking C-3PO through in terms of on-the-ground governmental diplomacy.
Actor and mime Anthony Daniels was hired to play C-3PO in the original 1977 "Star Wars," and has been a stalwart standby of the franchise ever since. Daniels, while wearing the stiff, gold C-3PO suit, has appeared on camera in nine "Star Wars" movies, and lent his voice to "The Clone Wars" film and TV show, starred in the animated series "Droids" and its spinoff movie "The Great Heep," and dozens of other video games, theme park rides, and radio dramas besides. Daniels may have appeared in more "Star Wars" media than any other actor.
According to the 2018 documentary film "The Director and the Jedi," however, Daniels' voice was almost removed from "Star Wars" altogether. Struck by a creative whim, director George Lucas felt that Daniels' physical performance was fine, but that a new voice might be needed. He had already pulled a similar "prank" on actor David Prowse who played Darth Vader. In post-production, Prowse's voice was replaced by that of James Earl Jones.
C-3PO's voice
It was "Star Wars" star Mark Hamill who recalled George Lucas' wild caprice, and the audition process the director put into motion. It seems that Lucas wasn't a fan of Daniels' vocal performance. Daniels, born in Salisbury, gave C-3PO the "proper British" voice of a robot butler, lending the character a comedically flustered quality. Hamill would even evoke a popular 1970s British ITV drama as a key inspiration for Daniels' interpretation of the android character. Despite this, Lucas decided he wanted something different, and held auditions to find a replacement. Hamill said:
"Not telling tales out of school, George got back and looked at all the footage, and didn't like C-3PO's voice. And so, he saw over 100 actors, voiceover guys, to come in and audition for the role of Threepio's voice. Mind you, it's all been filmed. And we're so used to Tony, [Imitates C-3PO] 'Oh, yes, how's that, sir?' All of that. I mean, it was all part and parcel of the organic character. He's almost like the droid equivalent of 'Upstairs, Downstairs.' He's much more comfortable in the drawing room serving champagne. That was the humor of Threepio."
There is no roster of the voice actors who auditioned to replace Daniels, but we now know none of them were hired. According to early versions of the "Star Wars" script, Lucas wanted C-3PO to sound less like a butler and more like a fast-talking used car salesman. It's likely he would have hired an American actor as Daniels' replacement. According to another documentary, 2004's "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy," it was one of those American actors who suggested that Daniels' voice already sounded fine. Lucas took that actor's advice.
Daniels has been inseparable from the droid ever since.