Anthony Daniels did not initially agree to be cast as C-3PO but changed his mind after reading part in the script and seeing a concept painting by Ralph McQuarrie , who based his early design largely on Walter Schulze-Mittendorff 's '' Maschinenmensch '' from the celebrated Fritz Lang film '' Metropolis '' . George Lucas originally envisioned the character as " more of a con man " with an American accent , but changed his mind after Daniels ' voice performance outshone that of 30 other actors that tested for the role . Daniels appeared as C-3PO at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978 and 88th Academy Awards in 2016 . Mel Blanc was considered for the role , but according to Daniels , Blanc told Lucas that Daniels was better for the part
88th Academy Awards
88th Academy Awards
C-3PO