Anthony Daniels Reveals How C-3PO’s Suit Changed In The Sequel Trilogy

Having appeared in all eight live-action Star Wars films, Anthony Daniels is one of the most integral components of the franchise, despite his slender physique and ability to fit into the suit being the biggest motivations behind his casting. When speaking at Fan Expo Canada, Daniels revealed his biggest demand for portraying the character in The Force Awakens was a new, more comfortable suit.

According to Space, Daniels recalled getting a call from J.J. Abrams about the sequel, explaining, “He said, ‘Would you just like to do the voice?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘Quite right.’ But I said, ‘I would like a new suit.’”

He continued, “They 3D printed it, which still makes it as heavy as it was, but it means you can make little changes, print it out, try that, and it works better. The head used to take half an hour to put on. Now it goes on—because they changed the way it fits together—in eight seconds, which means I can take it off after each shot.”

The remark about updating the suit came after explaining to fans how difficult it was to endure the suit while filming the original trilogy.

“It’s not easy for me being in the suit because I’m slightly separated from everybody else,” he explained. “Back in the day, I was basically locked in that suit… to begin with, of course people would just come up to me all the time and say, ‘Gosh, you look fantastic. This is incredible. You are a perfect droid.’ Because nobody had seen a costume like this. But after a few days, I had become an object. People forgot I was in there.”

Daniels was quick to point out it was his own fault for the confusion, joking, “They accepted—because of my brilliant portrayal—that I was a robot and a machine and you don’t have to be nice to machines. You don’t have to say, ‘Are you okay?’ When did you last say that to your microwave?”

Daniels will reprise his role in The Last Jedi, which lands in theaters December 15.