In an event centre not so far away, Calgary Expo welcomes the world’s most famous protocol droid, Anthony Daniels. Best known for his role as C-3PO in the Star Wars franchise, Daniels hosted “I AM C-3PO: Meet Anthony Daniels” in the Champions Ballroom.
The panel started once the room dimmed and the opening theme blared around the room. On the screen, attendees watched C-3PO’s journey within the nine movies as Daniels stepped onto the stage and the room roared with applause. Donning a black sweater and black trousers, he walked around the stage as he introduced himself to the crowd.
The panel’s organization was simple, Daniels would host a Q&A and people would ask any questions that pertained to his career, film experience and more. Daniels had an incredibly fun sense of humour and expressed immense gratitude for the support over the years. His friendly demeanor made the Q&A less intimidating, with participants talking to Daniels like an old friend rather than a Hollywood legend.
The crowd’s questions ranged from asking about his favourite Star Wars film, what Star Wars is about and his experience with other cast members. Daniels would walk around the room and act quite cheeky with audience members, he would reminisce on his time acting with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and the first impression he made on Alec Guinness (Ben Kenobi). Hamill had introduced himself to Daniels with “California energy”, bringing an energetic vibe to the set.
Daniels explained how the filming of the first Star Wars film, contained a sense of innocence. For Daniels, the first film was a risk, an experiment, a wild bet. Luckily, A New Hope was a success, and Daniels’ work to make himself into the loveable protocol droid that is known by millions.
What was most interesting about the panel is how Daniels took the audience on a journey of one of his first meetings with George Lucas. When asked about what drew him to the project, Daniels told the story of their first conversation about the project left him feeling bored, the concept art, but more specifically the concept art of the droids is what made him change his mind. From discussing 2001: A Space Odyssey to the heart of the golden droid, Daniels walked out of the meeting with a changed mind and opted into the project.
From the first costume fitting and touching down in Tunisia, Daniels worked the room in a spirited way. From playfully switching between his own person to his robotic character, he was able to engage all audience members who are fans of Star Wars.
The Star Wars franchise had become a keystone in what audiences know about the science fiction genre. Daniels tells all and more in his book I am C-3PO: The Inside Story - Foreword by J.J. Abrams. The book is available in bookstories like Indigo and Chapters, additionally the book is available online.
C-3PO had been part of the franchise’s iconography from the beginning, and Daniels was welcomed to Calgary with open arms. Information on Calgary Expo 2026 can be found on the website.
