Robin Williams was known to be one of the greatest comedic talents ever. Despite his unfortunate demise in 2014, the late star is still loved and respected by his fans and colleagues. Over the years, many stars have stated how Williams was one of the most incredible companies to work with. Anthony Daniels, popular for his work as C-3PO in Star Wars, noted that meeting with the late actor was one of his most memorable experiences.
Although Anthony Daniels never got his golden opportunity to share the screen with Robin Williams, he met the actor during a public event. The C-3PO actor suggested that he can never forget his meeting with the late star. Similar to other stars, Daniels was also enamored by Williams’ entertaining and friendly attitude.
How did Star Wars‘ Anthony Daniels describe his encounter with Robin Williams?
For his improvisational skills and expertise in comedy, Robin Williams is regarded as the undisputed legend in the genre. However, the late actor’s backstage stories are also as memorable as his acting quips and speak a lot about his personality. Many of his co-stars including Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke, and Ben Stiller have recalled having a wonderful time with him on the set.
In a segment of Star Wars Insider, Anthony Daniels (the only Star Wars actor to feature in all the theatrical films in some way) revealed that he met the legend during a charity event. He recalled that till then, no other star had made him laugh like Robin Williams. Daniels added that it was a “lovely experience” and since that moment, he had been a prominent fan of the Popeye actor.
We were taking part in a film sequence for a charity event called Hands Across America. I cannot remember the date but both Robin and I are looking rather young so it must have been about 20 years ago or more. I don’t think any other artist has made me laugh so much in rehearsal. Robin was a delight and I have been a fan of his ever since because of that one experience.
Robin Williams’ humor was well known in the Hollywood circle as his Death to Smoochy co-actor Danny DeVito also talked about it. DeVito shared with NME that once he laughed so hard in a swimming pool at something Williams said that he almost choked himself to death.
Anthony Daniels revealed that the Oscar winner’s not-so-famous Bicentennial Man also intrigued him. Bicentennial Man, released in 1999, featured the late actor as an Android servant. Sadly, Daniels never got another chance to reunite with the late Aladdin star. The Star Wars fame concluded that Williams “was one of the most entertaining, intelligent, and friendly humans I have ever met”.
Robin Williams was almost associated with Star Wars
Following the historical release of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977, the space-opera franchise made one of their worst mistakes by releasing The Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978. It was made without the involvement of George Lucas and was such a monumental disgrace that nobody dared to rebroadcast it or even release it on home videos.
One of the primary reasons for its poor quality was because of its handling by TV variety show producers. According to A Disturbance in the Force documentary, initially, director David Acomba was brought to lead the project. Unfortunately, he had certain creative differences with the producers and was replaced with Steve Binder.
Surprisingly, a popular rumor in the documentary stated that Acomba wanted to take Robin Williams (see CBR) in the project after watching his performance in Mork & Mindy. But the producers were not interested as Williams was not a huge name back then. Many fans consider this a major blunder as the actor could use his humor to elevate the status of the much-criticized TV special.
It is also interesting to note that Mork & Mondy (a spinoff of Happy Days), a sitcom starring Williams as an alien was made to capitalize on the popularity of the George Lucas franchise. Nevertheless, it can never be denied that Robin Williams’ presence could have elevated The Star Wars Holiday Special‘s standard to a notable extent.
A Disturbance in the Force can be streamed on the Roku channel.
