Dаz
// 52_Ninety-eight // The saddest robot
Wow - you'll never guess who I bumped into at work today. Only C3PO, former robot actor from the Star Wars films! He must be new because I've never seen him around the place before.
I stopped him to have a chat, he didn't seem to mind too much but I noticed he looked a little glum so I asked him what was up.
He poured his poor little mechanical robot heart out there and then, lamenting his choice to work in the original three Star Wars films. He said that after Star Wars he couldn't get work in any other films because he was so recognisable. And that George Lucas replaced him with a CGI representation in the newer trilogy that was just different enough that C3PO couldn't claim payment for image rights.
He auditioned for ET (as the alien), Indiana Jones (as Indy), Full Metal Jacket (as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman) ... he even auditioned for the starring role in Boogie Nights but had an unfortunate groinal malfunction at a bad moment and was overlooked.
He told me that for the last 25 years, since his last paycheck from Return of the Jedi ran out, he's lived day-to-day doing voiceovers for infomercials and training videos.
He decided to try his luck back in the UK and moved over here in October last year.
Since then he's mostly done agency work posing as a futuristic statue in rich people's houses when they're having a big party.
He's on a temporary contract where I work so he's thinking about returning to America with a screenplay he's been writing for the last 4 years. It's the mythical third Star Wars trilogy. He wouldn't give too much away but he did say that C3PO has a more prominent role as he finds out:
> C3PO is actually the chosen one and the universe's first robot Jedi.
> Discovers that Luke Skywalker was actually in cahoots with The Emperor the whole time and C3PO destroys Evil Luke with lasers shot from his eyes.
> Chewbacca is actually a lady Wookie and was secretly married to Han Solo.
He's hoping to convince George to start shooting in Spring 2012.
After our conversation C3PO shook my hand, placed his hat back on his head and kindly agreed for me to take his photo before slouching off jerkily down the corridor, shoulders hunched, face conveying the pain of half a lifetime's worth of missed opportunities .
Strobist info: SB600 to camera left at full power through an umbrella. Fired by CLS.
Aperture: f4.5 // Shutter Speed: 1/100 // ISO: 100
// 52_Ninety-eight // The saddest robot
Wow - you'll never guess who I bumped into at work today. Only C3PO, former robot actor from the Star Wars films! He must be new because I've never seen him around the place before.
I stopped him to have a chat, he didn't seem to mind too much but I noticed he looked a little glum so I asked him what was up.
He poured his poor little mechanical robot heart out there and then, lamenting his choice to work in the original three Star Wars films. He said that after Star Wars he couldn't get work in any other films because he was so recognisable. And that George Lucas replaced him with a CGI representation in the newer trilogy that was just different enough that C3PO couldn't claim payment for image rights.
He auditioned for ET (as the alien), Indiana Jones (as Indy), Full Metal Jacket (as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman) ... he even auditioned for the starring role in Boogie Nights but had an unfortunate groinal malfunction at a bad moment and was overlooked.
He told me that for the last 25 years, since his last paycheck from Return of the Jedi ran out, he's lived day-to-day doing voiceovers for infomercials and training videos.
He decided to try his luck back in the UK and moved over here in October last year.
Since then he's mostly done agency work posing as a futuristic statue in rich people's houses when they're having a big party.
He's on a temporary contract where I work so he's thinking about returning to America with a screenplay he's been writing for the last 4 years. It's the mythical third Star Wars trilogy. He wouldn't give too much away but he did say that C3PO has a more prominent role as he finds out:
> C3PO is actually the chosen one and the universe's first robot Jedi.
> Discovers that Luke Skywalker was actually in cahoots with The Emperor the whole time and C3PO destroys Evil Luke with lasers shot from his eyes.
> Chewbacca is actually a lady Wookie and was secretly married to Han Solo.
He's hoping to convince George to start shooting in Spring 2012.
After our conversation C3PO shook my hand, placed his hat back on his head and kindly agreed for me to take his photo before slouching off jerkily down the corridor, shoulders hunched, face conveying the pain of half a lifetime's worth of missed opportunities .
Strobist info: SB600 to camera left at full power through an umbrella. Fired by CLS.
Aperture: f4.5 // Shutter Speed: 1/100 // ISO: 100