Anthony Daniels Calls Oscars ‘Snobbish’ for Never Awarding George Lucas: ‘Really Pisses Me Off’

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Anthony Daniels got his big break when George Lucas cast him to play the robot C-3PO in his 1977 science-fiction “Star Wars,” a role the English actor would reprise in eight “Star Wars” sequels (including the upcoming “The Rise of Skywalker”) and various television shows and specials. Daniels has been on a press tour for the release of his memoir, “I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story,” and he told The Sun he’s especially upset with the Academy for never awarding George Lucas with a competitive Oscar.

“The Academy can be very snobbish and almost obviously…George is not a Hollywood person — ‘If you don’t like our gang we’re not going to have you in our gang,’ sort of thing,” Daniels said. “Really pisses me off that I don’t think George ever won an Oscar for himself, just department – ­special effects and all that kind of thing. George deserves more than that.”

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Lucas has been Oscar nominated only four times in his career, only two which came for 1977’s “Star Wars”: Best Director and Best Screenplay (Lucas’ other two noms came for writing and directing “American Graffiti.”) Lucas lost both of his Oscar nominations for “Star Wars.” While the Academy awarded Lucas with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1992 for his cinematic achievements, he never won a competitive Oscar for the “Star Wars” franchise or any other movie.

Daniels’ press tour for his memoir generated news over the weekend after the actor shared his belief that Lucasfilm and Disney would one day get somebody new to play his beloved droid character. “I absolutely admit and accept that,” the actor told RadioTimes. “And quite right: he is too good of a character, too big of a character, to die with me. And Disney paid a lot of money for him! You know what I mean? They’ve got to get their money back somehow.”

Daniels will be back as C-3PO in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which is opening in theaters nationwide December 20. The movie’s trailer features a moment where C-3PO shares an emotional moment with the characters played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, prompting fan speculation the character will die.

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