Only One Actor Has Appeared in Every Star Wars Movie (Plus Four TV Shows)

The Star Wars universe has produced more than a dozen movies and TV shows across nearly five decades, featuring hundreds of actors along the way. Mainstays such as Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Hayden Christensen, and Ewan McGregor have taken part in numerous projects over decades, while newer additions like Pedro Pascal and Daisy Ridley have been set up as major players in the scheme of Star Wars’ present and future. In the 46 years since Star Wars: A New Hope kickstarted George Lucas’ famed franchise, only one performer has appeared in every single movie. The actor, who plays one of Star Wars’ most iconic non-human characters, has also shown up in four TV series.

The actor in question is Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO. An overly anxious gold-plated droid, fluent in many languages, C-3PO was created by young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The character formed an inseparable bond with the astromech droid R2-D2, and the two accompany one another during many major moments in the saga’s timeline. As a result of his lengthy Star Wars acting career, Daniels has cemented himself as one of the linchpins of the sci-fi fantasy franchise.

Which Star Wars Projects Has C-3PO Actor Anthony Daniels Featured in?

Daniels began his tenure as C-3PO in 1977’s A New Hope, reprising his role in 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and 1983’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. In the original trilogy, C-3PO crosses paths with Luke Skywalker (Hamill) on Tatooine when he and R2-D2 are tasked with bringing a copy of the Death Star plans to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). From then on, the two droids follow Luke, Obi-Wan, and Leia Organa (Fisher) during their quest to defeat the Empire. Daniels returned to voice C-3PO in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, 2002’s Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. In the prequel trilogy, C-3PO and R2-D2 serve as companions to Anakin (Christensen) and Obi-Wan (McGregor) in the buildup to Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) rise to power.

For a third run in the Star Wars saga, Daniels came back in 2015 for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He reappeared in 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi and 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The sequel trilogy sees C-3PO and R2-D2 assist Rey (Ridley) with taking down the First Order. After having his memory wiped out several times, C-3PO has it fully restored by the end. Daniels also featured as C-3PO in the spinoff films Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016 and Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. He made his TV debut as C-3PO in Star Wars: The Clone Wars beginning in 2008. Daniels appeared in one episode of the animated Star Wars Rebels in 2014. The actor additionally featured in the live-action shows Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi in 2022 and had a cameo in Star Wars: Ahsoka in 2023.

What Anthony Daniels’ Star Wars Appearances Reveal About C-3PO’s Importance to the Franchise

While other characters such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and R2-D2 have reached icon status, C-3PO’s presence in every Star Wars movie demonstrates the character’s immense value to the universe at large. The droid’s personality often serves as a form of comic relief, as C-3PO frets about the perilous scenarios he and R2-D2 frequently find themselves in. Having lived through the rise and fall of multiple ruling forces, C-3PO has the knowledge to assist other, more mortal, characters in achieving their goals. In spite of his limited mobility and breakable nature, C-3PO has overcome setbacks again and again, proving to be one of Star Wars’ most resilient figures.

As for Daniels’ Star Wars future, the star is not currently confirmed to appear in other projects. Still, it’s hard to imagine that his time in a galaxy far, far away has concluded. Daniels will most likely be involved in Ahsoka season 2 and the upcoming Star Wars movie centered on Rey and the New Jedi Order following the events of The Rise of Skywalker. C-3PO is a mainstay in the Star Wars universe, and fans will rejoice at the chance to see him in more projects going forward.