Anyone Feel a Little Sorry for Anthony Daniels?

[DarthPipes]

I don't feel sorry for Daniels. Everything I've heard about him has been less than flattering and he seems very ornery about everything. Not someone I'd like to meet.

He's made a good living for himself as C-3PO. I've joked that if there was a Star Wars radio ad in El Paso, Texas, chances are that Daniels voiced Threepio in it.

 

[BillJ]

Feel sorry for him? Not even a little bit.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Nope. Even if he isn't as much of an asshole as Kenny Baker and others describe, if the worst thing he's had to suffer in exchange for becoming a multi-millionaire based solely on this franchise is being paired with Kenny Baker in interviews than he's led an amazingly blessed life.

 

[HugeLobes]

Nope. Even if he isn't a much of an asshole as Kenny Baker and others describe, if the worst thing he's had to suffer in exchange for becoming a multi-millionaire based solely on this franchise is being paired with Kenny Baker in interviews than he's led an amazingly blessed life.

Well, yeah. But you can feel sorry for someone over one thing without stacking up everything else they have going for them, right? I feel kinda sorry for Mark Hamill getting typecast in the years following Star Wars, even though obviously getting the part of Luke Skywalker came with more positives than negatives.

Guess things aren't helped by Daniels apparently not being such a great guy.

 

[JD]

How did Mark Hamill get type cast? Dude played the Joker, which is about as far from Luke Skywalker as you can get.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I have to admit, I've never been real clear on how much of what we saw R2 do was Baker and how much was done through remote control.

Partial answer: There are two hoses for running Baker's legs from R2's trunk directly into the two main feet. They come and go with no continuity logic, because they exist solely to allow Baker to be in there, and they are otherwise intended to be as inconspicuous as possible. Whenever you see those hoses, you can be sure that Baker is playing R2.

 

[HugeLobes]

How did Mark Hamill get type cast? Dude played the Joker, which is about as far from Luke Skywalker as you can get.

He apparently had trouble landing movie roles, or at least roles different from Luke, after Star Wars because people only saw Luke when they looked at him. One example he's talked about before is Mozart in Amadeus; he'd starred in the play and was used in auditions, but the director apparently said he didn't want people to see Luke Skywalker.

Also, I remember seeing an interview with Carrie where she mentioned that Mark was a little disappointed that Harrison had this huge career outside the franchise, whereas he just kept getting offers for the same sort of part. I don't think he was that bitter about it, and he certainly seems to love the franchise, but it did supposedly stand in the way of other roles.

As for him being the Joker, that kinda only worked because people couldn't see his face. The fact that most of his success outside of Wars comes from voice acting speaks for itself. Also, it's not a particularly prestigious role. Gets attention because Hamill is a big name rather than because the role was huge, not that he wasn't great.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

But you can feel sorry for someone over one thing without stacking up everything else they have going for them, right?

No. Being angry because you were occasionally paired up with Kenny Baker for interviews because you formed an iconic duo in a blockbuster franchise is the ultimate of first world problems.

 

[HugeLobes]

No. Being angry because you were occasionally paired up with Kenny Baker for interviews because you formed an iconic duo in a blockbuster franchise is the ultimate of first world problems.

Again, I don't see why his success and wealth should mean you can't feel even a tiny bit sorry for him over a related matter. Not like I'm saying you should feel sorry for him in the same way you might feel sorry for Anne Frank.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

You are strangely insistent on this point. Are you in fact Anthony Daniels? Reveal yourself!


ETA: I just realized I'm saying all this as I'm posting with a C-3PO avatar.

 

[HugeLobes]

You are strangely insistent on this point. Are you in fact Anthony Daniels? Reveal yourself!

Thought about pretending I am, but that just wouldn't be proper. It's against my programming to impersonate a deity.

TBH, I kinda like the guy more now than I did when I started this thread. I don't mean to disparage Baker or say that Daniels had it really rough. I just think there are two sides to everything, and that most fans seem way more on Baker's than Daniels. I guess that's mostly because Baker seems far nicer.

 

[DonIago]

I might feel sorry for him if everyone knew who Baker was but by comparison nobody knew/liked Daniels, but it seems as though even when people like Daniels he's a bit of a jackass, so...if anything, I think I might feel sorry for Baker for being teamed up with Daniels.

Daniels essentially became part of a comedy duo, and when that happens, it would be unrealistic to think that people wouldn't often want to interview you with your counterpart.

How many times were one of the Three Stooges interviewed without the other two?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Thought about pretending I am, but that just wouldn't be proper. It's against my programming to impersonate a deity.

TBH, I kinda like the guy more now than I did when I started this thread. I don't mean to disparage Baker or say that Daniels had it really rough. I just think there are two sides to everything, and that most fans seem way more on Baker's than Daniels. I guess that's mostly because Baker seems far nicer.

Fair enough. I think it has a lot to do with Baker's side of the story having a lot more corroboration from other people who saw Daniels treat him like crap or who were treated like crap by him themselves, often for reasons that defied reasonable explanation. Everyone can have a bad day and be irritable. Everyone can come off sounding condescending even if that wasn't their intent. But when multiple people report similar behavior in multiple situations at different times, maybe it's just you (general you).

 

[HugeLobes]

I might feel sorry for him if everyone knew who Baker was but by comparison nobody knew/liked Daniels, but it seems as though even when people like Daniels he's a bit of a jackass, so...if anything, I think I might feel sorry for Baker for being teamed up with Daniels.

Daniels essentially became part of a comedy duo, and when that happens, it would be unrealistic to think that people wouldn't often want to interview you with your counterpart.

How many times were one of the Three Stooges interviewed without the other two?

I think there's room to feel sorry for both of them in different ways. Daniels was apparently horrendous towards Baker, and I can't see Baker making any of that up - he seems like a nice guy who'd let one or two slights go before actually getting annoyed.

But there's still the fact that Daniels actually played Threepio whereas a case can be made that Baker didn't play R2. His contribution really does seem pretty minimal, and, even though it's an unpopular opinion, I don't really think Baker and Daniels should share equal billing. It's a nice thing to do for Baker, and I'm not saying it shouldn't have been done. But I can see how it might tick someone off, and IMO it's fair enough for Daniels to feel at least a little salty. Of course, he certainly didn't have to make Baker feel like crap because of it.

 

[BillJ]

I just think there are two sides to everything, and that most fans seem way more on Baker's than Daniels. I guess that's mostly because Baker seems far nicer.

Baker isn't a dick, and Daniels is. So I'd be more likely to feel sorry for Baker having to put up with a shitty co-worker, than for Daniels being a shitty co-worker.

 

[HugeLobes]

Baker isn't a dick, and Daniels is. So I'd be more likely to feel sorry for Baker having to put up with a shitty co-worker, than for Daniels being a shitty co-worker.

Same. As I said, I just think there's room to feel sorry for both for different reasons.

 

[BillJ]

Same. As I said, I just think there's room to feel sorry for both for different reasons.

I have a tough time to feel sorry for someone that openly acts like an ass towards other people for meaningless reasons. Daniels has spent the last forty years being a celebrity thanks to the fans making a connection to C-3PO and R2-D2. If he can't get over sharing the spotlight, then fuck him.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I don't really think Baker and Daniels should share equal billing [...] IMO it's fair enough for Daniels to feel at least a little salty. Of course, he certainly didn't have to make Baker feel like crap because of it.

Again, it hasn't been established that Daniels "resented" how his name got billed in relation to other cast members', outside of a comment of his suggesting that Baker didn't contribute as much to The Phantom Menace as he himself did.

In the original film end credits, Daniels' name was the first on the card with (in this order) Baker, Mayhew, Prowse, Jack Purvis, and Eddie Byrne. The idea that there would be any "resentment" about that is rather far-fetched, not impossible, but certainly unproven.

In TESB, Daniels has equal billing only with Billy Dee Williams (whose name comes first), so in other words no equal billing with Baker at all.

Daniels' billing in ROTJ is the same as in TESB. Again, no equal billing with Baker, here.

In TPM, Daniels's name is in the middle position on the card with Ahmed Best and Kenny Baker. Does Daniels have resentment about that? No one's been able to actually come up with a quote, only their speculation, and nor is it clear why Daniels would complain about that, when his own contribution to the film is relatively minimal compared to Best's.

 

[HugeLobes]

Again, it hasn't been established that Daniels "resented" how his name got billed in relation to other cast members', outside of a comment of his suggesting that Baker didn't contribute as much to The Phantom Menace as he himself did.

In the original film end credits, Daniels' name was the first on the card with (in this order) Baker, Mayhew, Prowse, Jack Purvis, and Eddie Byrne. The idea that there would be any "resentment" about that is rather far-fetched, not impossible, but certainly unproven.

Feel like I already addressed these concerns. Certainly it isn't proven, but I don't think it's 'far-fetched' given his comments. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

 

[XCV330]

anthony daniels truly is self centered asshole. had a bad experience with him a while ago. so rude and nasty

I thought this was a POTUS tweet for a second.