Latest / CONversations with Coffee / Episode 12: Behind The Scenes: What It's Really Like To Wear A C-3PO Costume with Chris Bartlett

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Episode 12: Behind The Scenes: What It's Really Like To Wear A C-3PO Costume with Chris Bartlett · CONversations with Coffee

• CWC: Well let's see. How? So we just hit that. I'm hitting resume now. Yeah, that's fine. We'll edit it. We'll record later. Yeah, yeah, you'll get it. But it's everybody should be recording now in their three. Yep. Mine is three slots. Yeah, in the Brady Bunch arraignment. So Yes, right. The Brady Bunch. And ⁓ Kent, your audio sounds great. Does mine sound good? Yes. Even though I don't have a microphone. I do have a microphone. Maybe I should try and plug it in. You cluster your crystal clear. Okay. Great. Yeah, if it's coming through your Mac, that's or whatever your It's just a laptop. Yeah, PC laptop. Okay, thanks so much, Paul. Okay, yeah. Paul the amazing. Yes. Isn't he though? Yes. Am I still really quiet? How much do we pay? How much do we pay him? I mean, we need to give him a raise. Sorry, I thought I was paying for this. And you guys are taking a deduction. That's right. Right. ⁓ my gosh. All right. Always technology. There's cool things to have, bells and whistles, but see, yeah. You you do wanna do you wanna check to see is there a way to check it to see if it recorded? Is there a way to check we c that it's recorded? ⁓ that's a good question. ⁓ It's recording. It's just going into the cloud. It is, and it says pause and stop. Okay. Check or not check. Right. ⁓ All right. Let's go. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, right. Are you happy with the lighting? Yeah. Pink looks good. So I I ⁓ did reach out to Riverside ⁓ if I need to W we're gonna I'm gonna talk with an agent about it, but basically it just said that ⁓ you need to free up at least five gigabytes of storage. And I was like, he's got seven hundred and fifty free ⁓ gig free space. And they're like, Okay. Well, then clear the browser and the cash and the cookies and blah blah blah and reboot your computer. I'm like, Nope, that did not fix it. So I'm gonna talk with a live agent about it. So Okay. Well Yeah, sorry. I I think the more I learn about this, the maybe the more I'll I'll eat better I'll be able to help. But in the meantime, yeah. This is all good. I appreciate you ⁓ working with us and helping us site. I've been excited to share this podcast. and it's time. It's time. Me too, yeah. Which means I'm gonna have to take this with me and edit it ⁓ while I'm at Dragon Con. So 'cause It's coming out next Thursday. Great. Okay. Your episode will be coming. So So a week from two a week from two days from now. Yes. You mean a a week from your birthday? You mean? Mm-hmm. That's right. ⁓ my gosh. Thanks, Liz. ⁓ my god. Really? Is it your birthday? When is your birthday? The third, September third. September third. Wow. It's always born on I think I have it set on my phone to remind me so I can call you and wish you a happy birthday. Cause I'm like one of those guys that just doesn't do the Facebook thing. Right. You do. You're very good at that. Yeah. If I am a a friend of yours, I will literally pick up the phone and call you, or if I don't get you, then I leave you a video message. That's very nice. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Two seconds to do. Like they really aren't wishing you a happy birthday. I appreciate it. That that is the yeah, I do I do appreciate it. ⁓ Yeah, yes, it's nice. It's nice when people ⁓ call or text or you know, send a send a note and thinking about you. So that's cool. So everybody listening right now, just ⁓ send Chris Bartlett ⁓ happy birthday. Don't just hit the button, like just hit, you know, s Do a video message to him. Be like, hey Sing me a song on your ukulele. ⁓ my gosh. I wish I could play the ukulele. That'd be like ⁓ really? ⁓ he's got one. You wish you wish you could play Yeah. Is it hard to learn? Is it hard to learn? ⁓ no, it's it's easy 'cause there's only four strings. Turn on, turn on, turn on Yeah, yeah. ⁓ Happy Birthday was the first song I learned. Yes. Yeah. ⁓ I have to tune mine. Okay. ⁓ you have to tune seconds. I thought they were always in tune. Strings? No, strings stretch and contract. So do I. My waist. My waist. All right. ⁓ my goodness. Well ⁓ Liz, how are you doing? I'm doing very well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ⁓ Wow. Okay. Well, welcome to con. Conversations with Coffee. I'm your host, Kent, and this is my other host. British Liz. British Liz. Today we have a very special guest, Chris Carlet. We do. Hi. Am I on? Yes, you are on. Great. ⁓ it's so always fun to be with you guys, whether we see each other at a convention or ⁓ or here, you know, in person or here ⁓ on a podcast. So I love this. Thanks for having me. Chris, you're amazing. Yeah. Chris, I just gotta say, hands down, ⁓ I I love you to death. You literally, ⁓ for the listener listening, we've done the recording of this like I don't know, four or five times, something technically glitched and stuff like that. Chris just says, Yes, I will help. Help you get this on the podcast and just keeps coming back. So my gosh. Like big hearts out to you. ⁓ thanks for saying that. The the I I like the idea of talking about conventions with its own podcast, like how to prepare for a convention or you know, whether you are a casual fan or a hardcore costuming fan. I like this idea and I've never never done a podcast like this before, so I'm excited. It's practical stuff you can use. Yeah. Yeah, you you're one of those hardcore costuming people, aren't you? ⁓ Actually, let me do your bio so people actually know a little bit about you because like ⁓ they're like who Chris Lis Chris Bartlett exactly. They wouldn't recognize nobody recognizes his face, and that's fine. Not yeah, it's because it's covered up, you know, because ⁓ all right, so he is the droid you can't avoid. I wonder why. Chris Bartlett. So clever. Yeah. I love that. ⁓ Chris Bartlett has been pu ⁓ prof been a professional actor. Whoa. For 20 years. You don't even you look like you're 27, but 20 years. That's great. That's great. And he's yeah, yeah. And he's known for his main characters on Star Wars. ⁓ the show The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett. Obi Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, as well as others such as Lego Masters, ⁓ Shining Vale, and the Oraville. he's been playing this character that this well, it's now a Disney character, but ⁓ C three PO for over twenty years. Yes That's right. It's funny the way you say that, it sounds like you're saying it for the first time. Well yeah, yeah, well, you know, C three P O Right, right. I don't have the voice part. You do. And then other characters you've done are C90 or Q9. Q90. That's right. You did one Jack. Mm-hmm. Kenobi One Kenobi. Yeah. RA seven and many other droids that have become popular through Hasbro, Funko, action figures and stuff. In addition, he actually builds the droid costume he wears for the productions. And when he's not yeah, and when he's not busy acting for the last twenty years ⁓ or at conventions, which you can meet him, you can find him riding his his motorcycle around the canyons of Southern Cal. Welcome, Chris Bartlett. That's right. Thanks, Kent. That's right. Yeah, it you know it's ⁓ twenty characters in Star Wars now. And ⁓ twenty characters for twenty years. Right. Yeah, but but the la The majority of them happened like in the last six years. So But ⁓ but yeah, I ⁓ I as a kid who grew up with Star Wars, I could only have imagined ⁓ or dreamed of doing one character, let alone that many. And and ⁓ so yeah, I feel so lucky for to be, you know, part of this end of the galaxy. ⁓ but yeah, I how does that Right. Yeah. How does that happen? Stumble into it. Little kid watching screen. Right. I was discovered on a screening. Discovered on a in a you know at a department store at age eight. No, I'm just kidding. ⁓ YouTube. I yeah, I was I really like this quote that I just found from ⁓ the late Dolly Parton who we just lost. She said there's a difference between dream dreaming and wishing. She said dreaming is something that you want to do and then you have this fire in your belly to do whatever needs to be done to make that happen, right? ⁓ whether it's learning or practicing or ⁓ trying and failing or whatever. Wishing is just kind of hoping that something happens and then but you don't really have any desire to do anything to push that forward. And so that's the difference. It's kinda like, you know, Disney has the saying, ⁓ a dream is a wish your heart makes. Mm-hmm. And then I would add on to that that your body works for. So you you wish for something, but when you're dreaming about it, you're you're doing what you can. You know, like peop people ⁓ well, we'll we'll get to that. Like I started as a five year old, my parents put me on the piano. I r I I didn't really like the piano as a five year old. Okay. I and I didn't like practising. It was such a chore and everything. But then when you do find something that is really speaks to you, like for me, it was drums. And I didn't I l I couldn't wait to get home from school to start playing the drums and and practicing and learning new stuff and watching other drummers and listening to records and stuff like that and trying to mimic that. So ⁓ that's the difference, I think. And and ⁓ and it all started ⁓ nineteen seventy-seven when I was a seven-year-old, my parents took me to the movies. That's crazy. I mean, think about that full circle. Like you just were watching it and now you're in it, part of it, that universe. Well, that talking about the full circle. ⁓ I I am compressing this story, but as a seven-year-old, I saw the movies, then ⁓ every birthday and Christmas was always Star Wars Day. You know, and then and then you go make stories with your action figures in the in the c you know carpet of your living room. And then ⁓ and then I started building costumes as an adult, then I started going to Comic Cons to play these characters in character for real. ⁓ and then I get a call, then I'm do an audition, then I'm cast as one character, mm-hmm, then I'm cast as multiple characters. Then I'm going to conventions on the other side of the table meeting fans who are fans of the shows I'm in, then then I meet a fan like just happened this weekend who suits up in a character that I played and he now he's cosplaying me. That is the whole circle coming back and it it's the most beautiful surreal ⁓ surreality. Surreality, is that a surreality? Yes, that I I could imagine. So ⁓ a ⁓ little young man not sorry, he's a young man who is average size who ⁓ his name is Daughtree and his family, his parents, built a Q nine zero costume for him, among other costumes. And this this kid has been cosplaying since he was four. And ⁓ and so he's I think he's seven or eight now. ⁓ wow. And and it's not it it's not like his parents strapped him into a costume and said, Get out there, kid, you know, ⁓ like like ⁓ Burgess Meredith on on Rocky. ⁓ he he no, he likes being playing the character and he's and he's so even with minimal visibility, ⁓ he just you know, s he does his best to stay in character and and keep the costume on and ⁓ it it was such a so so cool. And now of course the technology for three D printing has advanced so so much from back in the days when I was building costumes, you know, out of vacuumformed or fiberglass pieces. that's what they were made of? What? That's how you made them before? ⁓ well as an adult, but before that, you know, you're just making stuff out of cardboard. So ⁓ you know, when I was a kid, yeah, I I ⁓ my dad you know, my parents made me a robot costume. And I fent I felt I felt like a megatron. I felt like ten feet tall. It was so you know, it just felt so cool to play this character. It wasn't based on any anything. It was just a robot. But being inside, you know, this and looking out through the T V dinner tray eyes, you know, and everything. That that was such a ⁓ man, it it just you know, my my dad has always tried to make fun for us. And And ⁓ he he he built the most incredible robot costume for me at the time as like a seven year old ⁓ out of cardboard boxes. But it didn't it didn't matter. It made me feel like I my my you know, dreams ⁓ meant something to him. And it did, you know, it did it did mean something to him and and he liked to see me having fun. but Who could have possibly imagined that that would all lead to what it led to? You know, it all started with ⁓ with dad making me a cardboard robot. But I what a wonderful what an incredible story that is, that there was such ⁓ support from your dad that Yeah, yeah. Both my parents have always been so supportive. you know, you into adulthood and made these things and got the call. Can you tell us a story? And these now these are all your characters that you know, these are these are some of my favorites. I I can't fit I can't fit twenty of the Star Wars characters all on one sheet. I mean I could, but I have to zoom around. But but ⁓ and then the other characters I play too that are not in Star Wars that are on other shows. ⁓ but th those are c kind of some of my favorites, yeah. Yeah, that's crazy. And ⁓ the reason I I know is because like you have you created a lot of these, like you said. Like where did this come from? Like did you just one day like, ⁓ I wanna do this droid and you just started making it? Or did you watch something on a movie and go, ⁓ that looks cool. I could do it better. ⁓ no, definitely not. I I ⁓ I started out in two thousand. ⁓ I I encountered a stormtrooper costume. ⁓ back in the late nineties, early two thousands, people had started making replica stormtrooper costumes. This is like the the around the beginning of the f the 501st Yep. ⁓ which I I didn't know about. I I ⁓ I saw this guy who had a who had a really ugly Star Wars website and I'm I'm a graphic designer so He had a he had an ugly Star Wars website where he was selling stormtrooper kits and other Star Wars helmets and things like that. And and I wrote him and I said, Hey, I'll redesign your website to be the most the the most technically ⁓ compelling and attractive website ⁓ and interactive website you could have for an in exchange for a stormtrooper costume. And so he said, Okay, great. So I redesigned his website and then I ⁓ and then he sent me a stormtrooper costume. So I I assembled it. You know, I didn't design it or or or fabricate it. I just assembled it. And then I was like, where am I gonna wear this? You know, like I I I wanna find a place that I could wear this and maybe play Halloween. Play a stormtrooper. ⁓ more than that. I couldn't have just you know, I wanted to do something more. So I just went online and I started looking for ⁓ ⁓ events that could r remotely be related to space or, you know, Star Wars. And so I found like an astronomy day i up i you know in California and I and that was near my where I lived and I went out there my daughter dressed her up in a s princess Leia costume. She's she's a little like five year old Princess Leia and this adult size stormtrooper. And we went and it was a huge hit and I was like ⁓ man it would be really fun. You know, I have the the voice in the suit and I and and I was talking to people in character and that was so fun and I started looking for other p people that maybe have these ⁓ that maybe w what if there's two stormtroopers. So I got online and I was looking around and I found like three guys in Northern California where I lived at the time and they had stormtrooper costumes and so we like we got together and we started going to different, you know, events. And then it it became ⁓ We we started the ⁓ Central California garrison of the of the five ⁓ first and then it just took off. And I and and then I started building other costumes. So I built like a Boba Fett costume and a Tuscan Raider and Jawas for my kids and and all all the all the bad girls from Star Wars. My my oldest daughter wanted to be the the five year old Princess Leia. She wanted to be all the bounty hunter girls and and stuff in Star Wars, so I started making those costumes and she'd wear that. And yeah, anyway So it in all this time I'm trooping with a five ⁓ first, going to ⁓ you know, children's hospitals or other events where where you get to see this contingent of the empire. And we and you know, I I was always staying in in character. That was the the joy for me. and and then ⁓ then I started going to conventions, you know, like Dragon Con. I know Kent you're going there this this week. Dragon Con and Comic Con in San Diego and ⁓ And so, but all this is happening outside of my regular life, which was my regular job in video games and my, you know, my family and my kids ⁓ and things like that. And then I got this idea to ⁓ I I I wonder if I wonder if I could build a C3PO costume. So over the course of three years, is long before 3D printing or anything, I ⁓ just one piece at a time. I worked with my buddy who had a fiberglass shop and I did had done all this research, tons of hours of research on the structure and form of the costume. ⁓ all the details and even even ⁓ a couple of people from Lucasfilm ⁓ were very generous in helping me understand like Don Bees, who's the he was the Wrangler of the droids in the in the prequels and and former Lucasfilm Archives ⁓ director. He even ⁓ offered to help me with some certain things you can't see in the costume like the suspension system of the legs or ⁓ or those kind of things. And so he was very generous and I was always so grateful to him for that. ⁓ and so over the so three years working in the evening after my ⁓ my job and tucking the kids into bed, I was working on this with my with my friend. And ⁓ and again, it was just one piece at a time. I didn't I didn't know if I would even be able to finish the whole thing. ⁓ I was just like, ⁓ we finished that. Let's let's see ⁓ what else, what's the next thing we could do? And and it was just one thing at a time like that. and then ⁓ at the end of three years I finally got the last piece done, the first version of the last piece. And and then I rattle canned it gold, you know, so and then weathered it and stuff. So it you know it wasn't chrome shiny like this. Mm-hmm. It was it was like the form was there, ⁓ and maybe it looked a little bit like the version of C3PO we see in in Return of the Jedi, where where it's very matte finish, not shiny. And ⁓ I wore it to the Boston Museum of Science opening of Star Wars where Science Meets Imagination, where Anthony Daniels, the original C3PO, was appearing. So I wore it for the very first time. There. and I was living in North Carolina at the time and I I wore it the first time again, Rattle Can Gold, the very it's Mark One. This is the very first version of this. Not I knew it wasn't gonna be perfect, but I just wanted to finish a version of it and see. And so ⁓ I got to meet Anthony Daniels and we talked about C three PO's motion and his voice and ⁓ And that was the very first moment that I felt like I had some really small s significant to me connection to Star Wars in meeting s an actor from Star Wars. That was my first time. And such an iconic actor. Right. Right. Yeah. And that and and so so that was that was the the To answer your question, that was the early Yeah, no, that's I mean, and seriously, I'm I'm sitting here and I'm like I'm I'm trying to figure out like how would I come up with this or where would I get the parts for this or like did anybody teach you how to build a costume or how did you learn to build your costumes in all honesty? ⁓ well the first costumes were were well the stormtrooper was a cardboard. Well, no, the Stormtrooper was a kit. That was a that was a backy form plastic. So someone makes the parts, you get them, imagine like a life size model, and then you're assembling it. ⁓ Boba Fett was at the time there were this is two thousand three, there were makers that were all over the world who would just make one part. You know, like one guy makes the gauntlets, another guy makes the jet pack, another guy makes the greeblies that fit on the arm or whatever. Right, right. and so so you spend a lot of time ⁓ Gathering pieces from all over the world, from makers all over the world. That's part of what makes it take a long time. And ⁓ whereas now you can go click and it's like you know, and then it's ⁓ printed, which great for for costumers, I think that's that's great. ⁓ so so with C3PO I started with ⁓ there was a couple of ⁓ like collectors who had obscure parts you know, copies of parts from a long time ago. and and it was just a start though. It wasn't it wasn't a functional piece that I could use or wear. So what we would do is kind of restore it. So imagine if you had like a an old old rusty car that you wanted to restore to make new. it doesn't function. You know, you gotta replace the engine or whatever. So excuse me. So so I worked with my buddy with a fiberglass shop. We cut ⁓ all up and restored them to what what would look as close as possible to what we saw in the original trilogy. and and ⁓ in in form and function, 'cause it had to function. And so that took a lot of trial and error. But yeah, I did start with, you know, like, ⁓ this guy has like a a copy of a copy of a copy of a a of a screen used foot, you know. Well, those feet don't fit me. So I I, you know, we had to like cut ⁓ apart and then stretch them and then create a new one. You know, so they they're all my versions of of the parts that but ⁓ just like with a lot of things, you don't start we didn't start just from scratch. some parts we did ⁓ have to start from scratch, you know, like fingers and hands and things like that. But but anyway, so that was that was it. We just we just I knew it wasn't gonna be Perfect, but ⁓ let's just try and fail early so that we can get to the one that's closest to what we you know want. So ⁓ there was a little bit of sculpting in there. There was a lot of trial and error ⁓ of of getting them to function. Well, just looking over your shoulders is this Chrome C three PO and I'm sitting there going, Okay, like if I had to figure this out, I'm like, where do you get those eyes? Where What are the eyes and how do you get those to look like the movie? Like what are they? Yeah. Yeah. So that just tur took some research. Like you're really studying the pictures, like, okay, what would have to happen in order for that to work? Where the lights are shining and you can see through it. And and and so then I was just trying stuff. Like I'd try I'd stack material together and see like, okay, how could I see through light? Well, you can't. You have to shield it from you. So okay, so you just look through the the hole. in the middle and then you shield all the rest. So that just took like pr trying stuff. And you're gonna find through this whole conversation, I've just been trying stuff this whole time. I I'm not an expert and you know, I know now I know things more than I did then, but I I was just trying to You got twenty costumes that you've built Yeah. Yeah, try it's crazy. Twenty characters, ⁓ and there's been new designs, new droid designs in there that have become ⁓ Action figures now. Yeah. Official Disney action figures and and and I never have worked alone. I've always had somebody that knows how to do something that I can go, ⁓ I could use that little part here. It's good that you know how to do that. Let's team up and then, you know, or this guy knows how to do the you know, electrical stuff, or this person knows how to how to machine things, you know, out of aluminum or something. And so ⁓ I I I would like I it's more appropriate to say that I have a team, even though we're not like in the same spot. You know, I I have ⁓ worked with friends over the years that had different expertise that I had that I from myself and we put all the work together and then it becomes this, you know, finished thing. That's awesome. So you're in Boston as as a a first draft P three PO with the original C three PO actor. Right. And then what happened? ⁓ Well, ⁓ it was it was he was great because he he was very ⁓ interested because I don't think he had seen a C three PO costumer before. And ⁓ and he said, All right, let's hear the voice. And I was so nervous, as you can imagine. Of course I've been practicing the the voice in to and from work in my car every day, listening to the D V D's and seeing if I could cut But but you never I I I I I didn't know that was going to happen. I didn't even know we were going to be meeting, you know, in person. ⁓ so I was so nervous and ⁓ I was like hello, I'm C3 Pierre Human Subcorrelation I fluent and was six million forms of communication. This is my camp out to D. And he goes, Hmm, that's pretty good. Let's t slow it down a little. I go, okay. So my buddy Chris Sanders, who was my ⁓ has been my R2D2 for many, many, many years, and that's a whole nother story how he became R2 D2. ⁓ he took a little clip of me walking in the suit and ⁓ and and me turning and just saying, hello. That was it. And then we put that on YouTube just to show with our friends. That was it. But ⁓ Lucasfilms saw a clip of that in 2006. And then I get an email that says we would like to talk to you about your suit. And I was like, What? I have tripped ball. Don't you have 15 of these? Why why would you need to talk to me? ⁓ and the other thing about it was when you're when you're working on this for three years, the the the whole dream, because we talk about dreams versus wishes. The whole dream was wouldn't it be cool if Lucasfilms said, Good job. Right? ⁓ wouldn't that be cool? ⁓ you know, wouldn't it and and also wouldn't it be cool if they were like, Hey, we'd love to use this for something. But of course that's never gonna happen because I'm just a nerd in my garage melting fiberglass and plastic, you know, at two AM. So smoking the fumes too. Yeah, exactly. So ⁓ well that that fuels the dream, right? ⁓ so ⁓ I ⁓ the delusion. I I I say that it i you know, the dreamers are people who ⁓ have a have they are so have such a delusion of success that ⁓ many times it just ends up happening by sheer will ⁓ will, ⁓ force of will. But anyway, I had of course did not ⁓ plan Of any kind of a career, even a phone call I wasn't planning on. So I had actually sent the suit out to be chromed. I hadn't even known how I was gonna pay for it because it was like at the time it was like $1,500 to chrome a suit. So I was like, ⁓ I don't know how I'm gonna pay for this. I'm just gonna send it out and I'll figure it out, you know? So they call and they were like, Hey, ⁓ we'd like to ⁓ use your suit. And I'm like, ⁓ All this time I've been working on this and the dream was this moment and I don't have it. I go, ⁓ I am so sorry to tell you that I don't have the suit. It's out for chroming. They go, where is it? I said, It's in Los Angeles at this shop. It's not gonna be ready for like five weeks. It's way past the deadline for what you need. I can't believe the tragedy of this moment. And they said, ⁓ wait, we know that shop. Hang on just a second. They get on the phone and go, Hi, this is Lucasfilm. ⁓ you have the C three PO costume there. ⁓ we need it done this week, not in five weeks. And the shop goes, Okay, no problem And I said, okay, Chris, we took care of it. ⁓ it's all good. It'll be ready. we will cover the chroming. We'll pay for the chroming and we'll ship it up to Lucasfilm. We'll fly you out from North Carolina where you're living. We'll pick you up at the airport and in a big black car and take you to George's conference room where you'll f assemble the suit and then we'll ⁓ put it on you and see what happens. And what was going what was going through your head at that moment, dude? Just like what the freak. I'm I I mean, yes. ⁓ absolutely. I don't know how I'm just gonna figure it out. Yeah. I'm just gonna figure it out. ⁓ so that happens. I have this great picture of it was for LucasArts. Remember the video game arm of Lucasfilm at the time. ⁓ they wanna see three PO give this presentation in Australia. ⁓ and so I first of all, I'm I'm you know, I have my passport ready and everything and I'm assembling the suit in the conference room and then they they come in and they bolt bolt it on to me and I do it was mostly a movement audition. They wanted to see if I could move like Anthony Daniels performs C3Pio because ⁓ C3PO's movement and the way he stands and everything, that's all a performance. People often ask, does the suit make you move that way? Very good, Kent. Does the suit make you move that way? And the answer is no, because they could just put anyone in it then. You know? ⁓ but ⁓ they were having an audition and ⁓ I ⁓ did my walking around and my movement and stuff and and ⁓ but you guys just I wanted to nail that audition as you can imagine. Yeah. So I had rigged the suit with a sound system. ⁓ the lights were on, ⁓ the n the sound was on, and ⁓ and I just turned to them and looked ⁓ right in the in the eyes. Nope, my goodness. Why hello, I am C3Pio Human Cyborg Relations. ⁓ this is my counterpart, Ardu D2. how might I be of service? And they go, ⁓ That's great. We didn't know you could do a voice. ⁓ we have a voice guy, Anthony Daniels. ⁓ But it's good to know that you can do that. Alright, so ⁓ why don't we pack it up and we're gonna fly out to Australia tomorrow. So amazing. Tomorrow. ⁓ So ⁓ that was the first thing. And after that it became a tsunami of well well let's say Maybe not a tsunami. It was one after the other of regular waves that just kept coming into the shore ⁓ for this. And now it's been over twenty years that I've been playing him. ⁓ most of that time has been quietly ⁓ you know, performing. That is just then then there was the next chapter after that. Yeah. Look at this. Liz Liz is ⁓ so in awe she's actually quiet. ⁓ I'm not I'm not as good at ⁓ the British accent the English accent as Liz is, obviously. Kent claims it's fake, but it's it is actually genuine. Yes. So what what did you have for him? ⁓ well, I I had ⁓ questions about actually being suited up. So you have to be bolted in. So you have like a dresser. Right, right. And ⁓ when I was there I didn't have a dresser, I just had the people that worked at LucasArts. So we kind of tried to I kinda had to tell ⁓ how to, you know, ⁓ puzzle piece the suit together, so that took a little longer. But once once we did, it was fine. And ⁓ but yeah, you can't you c you can't do the whole thing yourself. or I can't anyway. ⁓ You have to go and do a potty break. Yeah. So do you have to like this robe or does somebody have to come with you? Well, like dad says before road trip, you need to go before you go. So That makes sense. That's what I do. Unless unless you're on set and it's hot out and they're serving lobster ravioli. ⁓ and then you have to suit up right after that. And maybe it's been sitting out a little too long. And so that happened. So ⁓ I did ⁓ when I was filming on It feels like fifteen. I think it was ⁓ season three of The Mandalorian. ⁓ yeah, I found out real quick that we could get out of it pretty pretty fast. but it feels like fifteen minutes when you're like ⁓ yeah, it feels like it's much longer, yeah. No anyway. Are you bolted in just so it stays ⁓ put together? 'Cause like in a in the Stormtrooper and I know this because I'm part of the five ⁓ first, like you know, a lot of the st the stuff is Velcro. You all the pieces are Velcro. So if you move or you gain a little weight, the Velcro kind of stretches a little. Where in a C three PO you you don't want anything to move or come apart. So you have to Yeah, you want the seams to be really nice and snug you don't want it to spread apart so ⁓ so that's what the reason for the bolts. Also that's how they did the original one and that's how I started with like how did they do the original one? Now I'm sure there are easier ways or different ways to do it maybe with clips or something. But I yeah I still I I still bolt it ⁓ together. ⁓ we we have done some updates that allow you to take it off quicker ⁓ that don't require bolts and you've been hanging out with Iron Man? Right. That's right. Robbie Denner Jr. and I I wish. But anyway, you definitely can't be claustrophobic wearing that costume. Well no, and and like Yeah. That was gonna be a question. Do you get claustrophobic? Yeah. No, I've gotten used to it now. But in the early days ⁓ you can still see wires and lights and and resin and fiberglass i if you're looking up in the helmet. And that can be disorienting. You don't really want to focus on that. You and I I learned a trick which was focus on what's what's out there, you know, which is R2D2 or John Favreau being very happy with what he's seeing or or stormtroopers running by or a life size land speeder or something, you know. ⁓ And that helps. And but I also ⁓ yeah, and and that's not for everybody, 'cause I I've I've tried to put other people in the suit just for ⁓ you know, if we need to have two droids in the scene instead of one, which that has happened. ⁓ and not everybody can can withstand the ⁓ the thing. But like we talked about before, ⁓ you know, if it's something that you really want You don't mind doing the hard parts. You know what I'm saying? Like if you really love the sound of piano, you don't mind practicing. You don't mind if you really love the sound of the guitar playing a song, you don't mind developing the little calluses on your fingers because the overall goal is the you know, i is is what you want. So anyway, ⁓ I I overcame that pretty shortly because ⁓ My goal overall was, you know, the finished product. ⁓ the the post you made about Daughtry and his zero and his zero costume, which ⁓ for the listeners, I ⁓ if you're not familiar with Zero, he's a bounty hunter, is that correct? Right. Q nine zero. Like yeah, w with huge bug eyes. Bug eyes, yeah. Where it looks like he Kind of like Liz with glasses. Looks like he has great vision. Right. Yeah. But In reality the vision is a handful of slats, right? Two little two little slots right here, yeah. How can you even see where you're going? Well you really value what you can see. So like, you know, hey, ⁓ that's better than in season three of the Mandalorian I played Copper or he's called C U two eight now. ⁓ that one I was completely blind. I couldn't see anything. ⁓ so ⁓ so I I was grateful for any amount of vision ⁓ you know, and ⁓ and even Dotri who's who's cosplaying zero, yeah, he could only see through the little slots too. And wow. ⁓ for a seven year old, I believe he's seven, wow, what a trooper. Yeah. Well, it's kinda like the Tuscan Raiders, you know, they have just those small little holes that they can see through, and that's it. Like ⁓ you have a good Those are pretty pretty good size. Well yeah C three PO is a straw you're looking through. ⁓ and and then ⁓ yeah, and then Zero is a couple of slots. But but ⁓ I'm trying to think of ⁓ the the the suit that was the most vis had the best visibility was the RA seven or we we also refer to as a as the Death Star droid. ⁓ has a big kind of bug head like zero has big bug eyes. But those I I made those so that they would be ⁓ you know, like ⁓ where they're chromed on the front, like a pair of sunglasses. So you can see through it. So to me, I've got a windshield. It was great. I loved it. ⁓ Yeah, but ⁓ but you you had ⁓ mentioned there you go. RA sevens on the bottom right. And on the bottom left, yeah. Yeah. And so ⁓ but yeah I once they cast me as zero ⁓ well I went in for a screen test for that. They had heard that I had been playing C three PO for years for Lucasfilm and they thought, ⁓ well you can do that. How about you come in and we've got a droid to see if we ⁓ why don't we do a screen test of you in that and see what that's like? And ⁓ man, I was so excited. That I got to see this see right up here, this piece of concept art by Brian Matias ⁓ was on the wall there at Legacy FX. And ⁓ my gosh, you know, Boba Fett was always my favorite character as a kid, you know? he was mysterious, he had a he had a lot of cool accessories and he looked battle damaged and stuff. ⁓ and he and he had such a stillness about him that made him more powerful on the screen, I think. And ⁓ anyway, so wow, a bounty hunter droid. ⁓ man, I was so excited. This is everything I ever wanted. ⁓ but I knew that, you know, chances were maybe slim that they would pick me for this. So I just went in. I just did my best ⁓ bounty hunter, you know, creepiness. I wanted him to feel creepy. ⁓ and so I did that and they asked me to act like I was looking for something. Searching, looking around or something. And ⁓ and then that was it. And they said, Okay, we're gonna show this to John Favreau and ⁓ thanks for coming in. I go. Thanks. Thanks for having me. This is amazing. It's great to meet you guys. And wow. So ⁓ so while I was so I did get that role. ⁓ while I was playing Zero on set, they found out that I had been building costumes before. And they said, Could you build one for us? And I go, I already did. I got a couple ready to go for you right now. And ⁓ they They were they said, Great. And that turned in from one droid that turned into twenty characters. But it wasn't like, hey, we're gonna sign a contract for twenty characters. It was just one. And then and then, you know, when ⁓ when pre production for the next season was ramping up, ⁓ they said, Hey, we might have ⁓ another role for you. What do you been up to? And I said and I sent them this picture of me in my living room with all these droids I'd been building while we weren't doing anything. And ⁓ that's sort of what started the the big wave of of creating ⁓ twenty characters for them. And and that was again, I didn't know they would want them. I was just making them for me 'cause I'm a huge nerd of droids. And so I was just building them for myself. And I wasn't waiting for them to ask me to build something. I also wasn't asking them if I could build them. You know. I always tell people ⁓ you want to be creative, don't ask permission to to to do it, just do it. ⁓ and that that has been a theme also that goes through my whole career. ⁓ I'll share other stories about that. But ⁓ anyway, that was how building one turned into twenty. Yeah. That's crazy. So when you're handed a a character or or a or a droid, a new droid, ⁓ what's the first thing you figure out to make the droid feel more unique? Mm-hmm. Right. You know, in the Star Wars universe, droids are like ⁓ kitchen appliances. Everybody has one. Liz, you might have one that looks like mine, but that doesn't mean we have the same one, right? It just it And and maybe they have different jobs. Maybe mine is an amazing ⁓ ice dispenser and ⁓ you know, yours ⁓ has very cold water or something. You they have different jobs. And so ⁓ so that's what I that's what I look at. What is the job of this droid? Is this droid a bartender? ⁓ this droid is a mercenary, or this droid is a teacher, or this droid is ⁓ a pedestrian that just happens to be out in traffic? ⁓ and and so that that's what I look at. And then I look at the script. you know, the thing with C3PO, ⁓ you know, I I like to think about why is he the way he is? This this was wasn't something that was ⁓ written down or anything, but you know, imagine ⁓ his you know his ⁓ what he's programmed for. Etiket and protocol, it's my primary function. ⁓ you know, he's programmed for social situations. You he's an interpreter droid, not very good at telling stories, but we find out he actually is really good at telling stories. But ⁓ but he's he's primarily just meant for these social helpful situations. That's it. Not not hurtling through the galaxy, not running through the from the empire, not being worshipped by small furry creatures. ⁓ you know, that that's not what he so he's imagine. If you are thrown into situations constantly your whole life, you are completely on eggshells all the time, you don't you're not meant to be there. That's not your safe space, right? That's why I think he's so anxious. ⁓ someone like the teacher droid in season two of The Mandalorian, while while she ⁓ has a resemblance to the protocol droid class of C three PO, ⁓ she's where she's supposed to be. She's programmed for education, so all of her movements I made very calm. She's doing what she's supposed to do. She's guiding the teaching the kids a geography class or a stroll astronomy class. ⁓ anyway. and and then and then Zero is ⁓ you know, he's a bounty hunter, so he's a cold killing machine. So I was thinking, how would I make him what makes them what made Boba Fett seem so powerful? And and a lot of it was his stillness. And that in acting, that is that is also ⁓ I found out later is a is a principle, is the still the more still you are, the more power the audience assigns to you because you're not illustrating your intentions. You know, when if you if if you've ever seen someone insulted and they just look at you and don't say anything, ⁓ or they look at the the insulter. ⁓ you don't know what they're thinking or what they're tell they're not telegraphing what their a next action's gonna be. That's scary if you are, you know, agr the aggressor. So anyway, I ⁓ I thought, okay, ⁓ I I want him to feel a little creepy. One, he's not human, so ⁓ I d ⁓ so so what I did was after the screen test, because the screen test I was just trying s something. I didn't have any really ⁓ grand plan for this character. I was just trying something, make him feel still, make him a little creepy. and ⁓ and then after that I was th I was just eat I didn't know I if I got it or not. I I was just like, I wonder he kinda looks like a praying mantis. You know, what what what makes praying mantises what what do they move like? You know, so I went and searched all this video of praying mantises and and ⁓ you know the They're usually really gruesome, you know, videos. But that's nature. And ⁓ and I was just looking for something that could help me come up with some idea of what would make this character unique. You know, ⁓ what what would be the the reason he would feel creepy or move move in a certain way. So I watched these praying madness videos and I I ⁓ you know, they're little. They're like they're like this big. They perch on a leaf or something, ⁓ and they you know, and they eat other bugs and stuff and it's really methodical how they just like slowly eat you alive. And I learned that a preying mantis from the perch of a leaf could reach out and grab a hummingbird and eat it alive out of the air. So I thought, ⁓ what if zero was a predator that people underestimate? Mm. You know, like a praying mantis, just a little bug, but wow, it can eat birds out of the air. so what what makes why would a character be underestimated? Well, he's a droid, he's not a human, so maybe the humans in the room think that they're better than him, you know, e or faster or or smarter or whatever. and ⁓ and also he's a predator. He's a bounty hunter, he's got a lot of cool accessories and he's really fast and unnaturally or unorganically smart. and and quick, which ⁓ which is ends up that's what the script said. he says, ⁓ don't worry Mandalorian, my response time is quicker than organics, and I'm smarter too. And and so, ⁓ okay, he's smarter and faster. But I learned in we learned in the very first episode that Mando hates droids. He doesn't trust droids. He hates them, doesn't want to be around them. He doesn't even want to work with them. I was in the that first scene where we learn that. I was the playing the ferryman that calls the speeders over and and ⁓ and and Mando says no droids. ⁓ so with Zero and every droid after that, I tried to get a lit little too close to Mando ⁓ in his personal space. ⁓ because I knew that irritated him and I I wanted to, you know, try to kind of illustrate that. as a character, I thought that would be funny. So so Zero, while he's being underestimated, he's explaining to them I'm I'm quicker and I'm smarter, ⁓ and he leans in a little too close to Mando and and that that was all a choice. I I wanted him to feel like he's getting under his skin. You know? but but then there's other characters, like I said, the the the teacher droid or ⁓ the s copper. Who's now called C U two eight. He was Grief Carga ⁓ his right hand droid, the late Carl Weathers. He was his right hand droid in season three. And I and I th wanted to treat him like he was brand newly chromed, because remember Navarro had been restored to its offici ⁓ original ⁓ glory. Mm-hmm. And and of course, ⁓ with this newfound prosperity, Grief Carga ⁓ has his own droid. He you know, he has great taste, so he he he copper plates him. And ⁓ and and I thought what if what if and in the script, Copper was often really trying to be so helpful, but was ⁓ sometimes wrong with the information that he was giving, right? And so I thought, what if he was like a teenage C three PO? So not as not nearly as much data being stored, but ⁓ but still trying to be helpful. He's a servant droid or a a helper. ⁓ but but he's getting stuff wrong. So ⁓ I that's how I treated him in in his movement. Like he's so excited, he wants to help and you know, but ⁓ my data doesn't i it says something different than what you're saying, Grief Carga. And ⁓ so that that's how I treated him too. ⁓ so he wasn't so he wa he was a little bit nervous also because he was being thrown into like gunfights and stuff like that and and tough situations. But most of the time he was, you know, just in an office setting, you know. trying to think of ⁓ another one. one Jack in Obi-Wan Kenobi when he's hunting Obi-Wan. ⁓ that was an incredible experience too, to work with you and McGregor, ⁓ who is just a down to earth guy who's just come to work and wants to tell great stories with you. ⁓ I I thought, ⁓ okay, another mercenary droid with bug eyes, but what if ⁓ he was like a grasshopper? So I had his arms were always kind of cocked back like this, ready to and he he was d d wielding dual pistols like this. ⁓ so I had him ready to draw. and ⁓ and and that was that was how I treated him too. ⁓ yeah. So it just depends on what their job is. And that's actually a principle of just acting any character. is you find out what the job is of the character. What are they trying to get? And what are they willing to do to get that thing. and then you act that. It's not you don't want to try and come up with the emotion. ⁓ that that's kind of a bad acting ⁓ approach. You you want to find out what they want and do that thing. That's why it's called acting. If it was if it was coming up with the emotion, you'd be in a motor Right. So anyway, ⁓ Well, ⁓ I mean it's amazing that each ⁓ droid and and presumably the creatures in that you've done in the other shows as well are just amazing that they all have this motivation and and you've nailed it. I mean they are clearly different characters. it makes me wonder though, if you were offered a non creature, non-droid role. What kind of thing would you like to do? ⁓ I always say the next one. The the the what's what's the next what's a character you'd really like to play? ⁓ the next one. I love acting. I love telling stories and figuring out what this character wants and how to portray that. ⁓ and in the last ⁓ few years I've been doing more on camera roles, which means I'm not covered in a mask. ⁓ I use this mask to you know, to to perform. So but, you know, in the Star Wars universe, 'cause I love it so much, I like layered characters. Not just, ⁓ good guy, bad guy. But what if it was like, you know, I I love the comics about Baron Fell, which was ⁓ He was a a Thai pilot who eventually becomes disaffected by the Empire and has ⁓ feelings like maybe they're what's happening there is not is not, you know, helpful or good. ⁓ and so he kind of goes against the Empire a little bit. A little bit like Finn does, you know, as a stormtrooper in in The Force Awakens. ⁓ but he has such a cool look, the that Baron Fell. He's like a He's like a like a World War II ⁓ fighter pilot. He you know, is you know, that and that's ⁓ the the TIE fighters are based on. ⁓ but he he he's got a great, you know, a nice trim looking ⁓ flight suit. He's got a great red stripe down the side and and and you see his face because his helmet's off a lot of the time and we kinda look alike. So ⁓ anyway, ⁓ I I I'd love to do that. Another one I think would be fun is ⁓ you know, we always think of the Jedi as the good guys, but but like Obi-Wan Kenobi says, Luke, you must realize many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our point of view. Which means and he goes, our point of view? Isn't truth truth? Or is it just a different point of view? Just like the Sith have a different point of view where they're saying this is the way to accomplish our goals, and the Jedi are saying this is the way to accomplish our goals. So what if we what if we had a veteran Jedi of the Clone Wars, ⁓ who had been fighting for the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, and then he starts to see a little bit of crack in the thinking like like Luke did. ⁓ in Obi Wan's philosophy of a point of view and then what if he realizes ⁓ you know that that maybe some of these motivations are just based on mm what we've always done. We don't know if this is like actually based on an actual truth. It's just like, well that's their truth, you know. So anyway, I thought that'd be cool like a like a veteran Jedi who's who's ⁓ been beaten down by the Clone Wars and then also is having these thoughts of man, w ⁓ not sure if if we are the good guys or not. I just think that's interesting. You know, that's ⁓ you know, and then yeah, I I you know, characters like that. I really like characters that have layers to them. Mm-hmm. ⁓ and and ⁓ yeah. So So you've thought about this for a while now. Yeah. I have yeah. He's like I know exactly which character I want. I love I love yeah, I love character building and and ⁓ the older I get the more I appreciate the the layers and the richness of each individual person. What I I love origin stories. So when I go to these comic cons and I talk to actors I've always wanted to meet, you know, like Name one of them. How did you get started? You know, and then and then they're like, ⁓ I you know, everybody has their own path. It's not like a step one, two, three, and now you're this. Everybody has their own. And it's so fascinating to find out what led to what you are now. And you often find out that the most remarkable stories started with the most humble beginnings. You know, somebody asked me this past weekend, ⁓ when did you know that you're like, I've hit the big time? And I'm like, ⁓ I don't I don't know I mean I have evidence that ⁓ people appreciate the work but like when I was first, you know, brought on by Lucasfilm in ⁓ you know over twenty years ago, there was no like ⁓ we're we're gonna have you sign a contract for twenty years. It was just this next gig. That was it. I never knew they were gonna call me again. But then they did, and then then they call you again and then they call you again and it's just it it's just you it just built like bricks. Building a fortress. It you never know there's no promise of tomorrow, you know, unless you unless you sign a contract for, you know, a three film deal or something like that, you know? I feel like I feel like that once you actually appear at a Comic Con as a celebrity guest, is that kind of a sign that that you've had some success? ⁓ yeah, I guess so I guess so. The first the first ⁓ inkling of that was when I was on set and I was playing my third character, John Favreau said, Boy Chris, you're not gonna know which character to sign for at Comic Cons. And I was like, Am I am I going to Comic Cons? I I that's that wasn't even a that wasn't even a that only real s you know, real actors do that. ⁓ I I just hadn't even considered that that was a real thing. Then I had to start working on my autograph. No. But anyway, right, when I first started doing it, ⁓ also there's a thing with they they don't nobody recognizes me. So ⁓ because it's always behind a mask. So there is some trust there that you have to like verify is this person really what they say they are? you know, and ⁓ And so when you come to my table at these shows, I I usually have a screen playing that shows all a whole bunch of footage of me playing all these characters so that it kinda helps in telling these stories that ⁓ you know, you know, 'cause people often ask, like, how do you make the droids all feel different? And how do you approach that and stuff? And I'm like, ⁓ well, see this character here moves very different than this one, you know. ⁓ and man, it's so fun to To talk to people about that and meet people who are intr even interested, remotely interested, because if we didn't if people didn't care or weren't watching, then we wouldn't have a show. And I wouldn't be going to Comic Cons. ⁓ but it's a really fun part of the job to to tell these stories with people and ⁓ and like why what I think about these characters and and and answer their questions about How do you pee in the costume or ⁓ stuff like that? then to see ⁓ see fans in costumes of your characters. My gosh, that is just such a ⁓ a ⁓ such a beautiful clo you know, closing that circle. ⁓ so anyway. Yeah. Well and and I know you have twenty different costumes and you you know, there are a lot a lot of them are all droids and stuff like that. If you had to smuggle one tiny personal item into your droid costumes every time, just say for superstition or comfort, what would it be? Smuggle something into my costume? You mean to get to set? No, just something, you know, smuggle something to cause it, you know, so like you know, like ⁓ sports people have ⁓ superstition, so they wear the same socks or Whatever it is. Or something that just gives you comfort. Like, you know, there's ⁓ a picture of your daughter inside the the the costume or something like that. Would you sm what would you smuggle? Wow. That I know this is off the cuff and that would be way out there. So so sweet. And my daughter would love to hear that I do that. ⁓ but I'm afraid the picture would get very soggy. ⁓ what I like to do is just have a dresser that is dedicated to just ⁓ helping me get in and out of the suit. And ⁓ I'm that that brings a lot of comfort because, you know, sometimes there there you don't have a dresser and or you have a dresser who's also responsible for like five other people and you have to be you know charitable to their what what they're trying to do too. You know, in the early days on the Mandalorian, ⁓ Don Deininger and ⁓ Tamara Woodard ⁓ bless them. were responsible not only for dressing me, but also for Grogu and ⁓ other characters too. And, you know, they're not just responsible for you. Yeah, they've got to take care of other people too. And they were so good at taking care of all of us. I mean, they were so busy. And I hope you get a chance to talk to them sometime. They are both ⁓ so lovely, ⁓ Don and and ⁓ Tamra. ⁓ And also so talented, because they they built like they built the Q90 costume and painted it and and finished it and and also worked on Grogu and things like that. So now I get to bring my own dresser to set. ⁓ that ⁓ dresser for the majority of the Mandalorian was my buddy Dana Gasser, who's a good friend of mine. We've known each other for twenty years and been building costumes all that time. And ⁓ and then also ⁓ ⁓ Katie Newman has who you've met ⁓ has also been on set with me ⁓ to suit me up and so now she's also ⁓ knows how to dress C3PO. And it's so it's just so nice that when you are in this like really enclosed, you know, space that you know that there's somebody who's watching you, making sure that you're okay, you know, just like the five ⁓ first has has has Wranglers, you know, who who watch and make sure that you don't trip down a f flight of stairs or if you're like need help taking the mask off or something, they can help do that. That brings a lot of comfort and ease in in the suit, even though you know the suit work is very physically demanding. It's nice to have somebody who you know ⁓ is watching out for you. You want you want that trust and and know that if anything happens they're gonna jump out and catch you or whatever. Yeah. ⁓ Dealing with that. I mean I did ⁓ deal or no deal. ⁓ yeah as a stormtrooper and the steps are not even a foot, they're like eight inches. So you had to watch where you were stepping and we had to learn how to come down the steps and put our suitcases down. And ⁓ some of the guys had we all had Wranglers, but you could see people looking like they're ready to dive to catch us because You weren't sure where your footing was and stuff like that. So Yeah, 'cause like the stormtrooper, you can't see below here. Yeah, it's it's like that. And that's right. Or you look down and through the crack of of your Right, right. Yeah. So yeah, it's it's good to have somebody there to help you and make sure that everything's working and nothing's falling apart. But also making sure your footing and everything's there. So Yeah, no wires are hanging out or that the parts aren't like you said, flying open or something. Yeah. Now we have conversations with coffee and and we are geared towards con CWC. ⁓ And you know, a lot of the people we're geared to are new people that have never attended a Comic Con. Mm-hmm. So ⁓ you know, you get a lot of new time, first time been to a Comic Con, don't know what to do, how is it? And they come up to you like deer in the headlights. Yeah. What do you tell them? What do you say that ⁓ that comforts them or helps them navigate their experience at a Comic Con? Well, I can't, I think about when I was going to conventions, what would I want my experience to be? And gosh, I I just wish I you know, I just wanted to have a human connection moment with ⁓ with people. Mm-hmm. You know, not just like, ⁓ could you sign my photo? You know, I I'd love I'd I'd love to w if you sign in my photo, also have a moment where I could tell them or talk to them or hear something about their origin story or something. So Th I just try to give people time and s sometimes that makes the line maybe a little bit longer, but ⁓ but w when we get to have a moment where we can get to know each other a little bit, ⁓ you know, that's that's what I like to do. So you know, and I tell ⁓ that look I I got my other friend here from The Mandalorian, you know, and I and this person from this other show, you know, take your time and And and see if you can, you know, ⁓ you know, see you know, see all the people you want to see. ⁓ but then there's also lots of vendors there at these shows that make cool stuff, a lot of makers. And and that's ⁓ that's fun to see what everyone is making on their own. ⁓ and then there's panels too. The panels are so fun because that's where you get to hear these stories like we're we're talking about. I know Liz, you've gone to those and Kent, you've gone to those. ⁓ and those are kind of like y and then you can ask ⁓ questions right there. ⁓ that those are really fun. I love I love I love being on both sides of that. And also if you come in costume, everybody expects costumes. Nobody is like, ⁓ who's this dork in a stormtrooper costume? I don't care. I don't care if they said that anyway. I would still do it. ⁓ but just know that you it's a real warm room for people who wanna just let their nerd flag fly and and be a stormtrooper or a Jedi or an Ewok or Droid or Hence why yeah, hence why Liz goes so she can let her nerd flag fly. That's right. And and also, Liz, let me say you have impeccable fashion sense. Okay. I love your shirt. I don't know if you can see my fabulous Roosevelt shirt. ⁓ yeah, look at that. Droids everywhere. Yes, that's right. I'd say twenty of them are Chris's droids. Yeah, those are all of th that was all of them. And that was fun how that came about. So I designed that shirt. ⁓ I I'm being a little silly by saying For Roosevelt? Fashion sense. Yeah. So I was at A comic con and I and in between people coming to the table, I was just drawing in my sketchbook and the creative director of Roosevelts came over and said, Hey, ⁓ I'm so and so. What what are you doing there? And I go, ⁓ I'm just just drawing. He said, ⁓ we should do ⁓ we should do something together. And I was like, Yeah, cool. I I would love to. I I love your stuff and I'd love to help you make some fun stuff for fans. And ⁓ so he goes, I really love the the notebook sketch technique that you're doing. And ⁓ so I just drew a bunch of droids that I I like to draw and they scanned them and put them on a shirt in a pattern. So those are all my yeah, so it's called droid drawings from Roosevelt's. And if you write ⁓ and tell ⁓ you want one, they might do another run of them. ⁓ they did ⁓ a couple years ago and I think so I think I picked this up, was it at San Diego? I think in twenty four ⁓ maybe so. Yeah, twenty-four, I think. So if Roosevelt is listening that ⁓ you know, ⁓ we want to have Chris draw some more droids for another shirt so that I can get one. That's right. Yeah, we should do another one. There you go. Another one. Pay attention. Like like I said, you don't have to ask permission to be creative. Like you could just make stuff and You know, see, you know, ⁓ maybe someone would like it. But there's joy there's joy in just doing the thing you want to do and then and the thing you're good at. Even if nobody wants it, ⁓ that's not that shouldn't be a thing for you to not be creative. Do do it because it's fun. ⁓ so anyway, yeah, that's ⁓ Well, I've seen you at shows and you know, people come up and get the autographs and you always take the time to talk with the people that are in front of you. And you in embrace them and encourage them and you ⁓ bring other people that you know into the conversation as well, which is ⁓ a skill in itself. ⁓ but you know, ⁓ there people bring Funko Pops. P those are popular right now and have been for a while. And and I know you sign those as well, but what a lot of people don't know, and this is why I'm putting it on the podcast, is you do your sketches. On the side of the Funko pop. So if people want a unique rare Funko, not only did they get the autograph, but they can get the sketch done as well. Obviously, it's ⁓ extra charge because Chris is taking the time to do the drawing, but you are getting something that is unique and rare and one of one because it's not the same on each one. You know, and I know you do that because you love to draw and you're good at it. ⁓ so thank you for doing that. That ⁓ well that is like ⁓ yeah. Yeah, thanks for mentioning that. I I do like to draw. I've like I mentioned I'm I've been a graphic artist for over twenty years. And ⁓ I really like original art too. You know, like I I love something that can't just be gotten on Amazon. You know, I love I love ⁓ something that like this is one of one. This is like an original piece that nobody else has, even though they may have prints of them, the original is really cool, that's special. And I just thought I I just I j I'm just this whole time I just been making stuff that I would want. You know? Like I would wanna see more droids in Star Wars. I would I would wanna see a bounty hunter, you know, that that I'm just making that what I would wanna make. And so ⁓ I'm just ⁓ making art, original artwork. Each one is one like you said, one of one. I don't do I don't do long ⁓ big runs of these. I just when I'm at home watching a movie, I'm just drawing on a Funko. Or in my hotel room, you know, ⁓ in between days at the con, I'm just drawing 'cause I really like to. And and then th those ⁓ people have been really responsive to that and and ⁓ You know, you can get all different colors of C three PO, you know, or zero. I started doing one jack now. I just ⁓ I I've got ⁓ I've d I did a one jack the other day. ⁓ anyway. ⁓ yeah, thanks for mentioning that. ⁓ it's really fun. And yeah, so I'm just telling everybody come by your booth, get one of your original artworks on a Funko. ⁓ it's something that you will treasure and you'll put up to show all your friends when they come over to your house. So That's very sweet. Thanks, Kent. ⁓ you're welcome. Where can we see you at a con next? Where where are you gonna be going to? ⁓ September, I'm taking a break. The the summer was busy, and by busy I mean it's you're traveling a lot to to different conventions. So ⁓ the next one is in October in Roswell, New Mexico. ⁓ perfect. I like going to cities. I like going to cities that ⁓ are interesting and unusual, ⁓ as well as, you know, well known cities. But anyway, Roswell, New Mexico, ⁓ which has a connection to space, outer space. ⁓ so I'll be going ⁓ I'll that that's if you go on my Instagram in the highlight areas there's appearances and that's where you'll see my all the places that I'm c coming up to going. ⁓ I'm also gonna be at Rhode Island Comic Con in ⁓ November. ⁓ that's a massive, wonderful show with ⁓ lots of fun people. I have to check the list to see who else is going, if there's anybody else going from Star Wars, but I haven't been there for two years, I think, and so ⁓ so I'm really excited to come back. Awesome. So Chris, what is your where where can people find you on social media and what is your social media handle? ⁓ Chris F. Bartlett is my Instagram. That's my Twitter. That's my what else? What else? YouTube. The merchant. YouTube, uh-huh. Yeah, Instagram. That's where you can go see ⁓ I love when people come in costume to their to these shows that I'm at, especially Star Wars. Right, right. And I like I love to capture ⁓ them in the middle of character energy, you know. Often and so I post those on my Instagram. So ⁓ you know, when I go to these conventions and I see people in costume who've spent maybe years on this costume and now they're wearing it and they don't wear it all the time, they're just wearing it like, you know. maybe once every couple of months or something and they're they might be like hot and sweaty and worn out, you know. ⁓ and so when you go up to them and say, Hey, your costume looks great, can I take a picture of you? And they just stand there like just standing in the costume. As opposed to like Yes, I'm a bounty hunter, you know, or like whatever. ⁓ I and I say, okay, cool. Now now I want to see you character energy. Do you know what that means? And they often, you know, sometimes they don't. And I'm like, imagine We are going to make a trailer for the brand new, whatever the next brand new Star Wars movie is gonna be. And your character, this character right now, is gonna be in it for six seconds. What would you wanna see that character doing in that moment? And you know, not everybody's an actor, so sometimes they're like, ⁓ I don't know. So I go, okay, give me how about this? How about your On your gauntlet you've got a commun you've got a NAVA computer and you're typing in your ⁓ coordinates for the Nava computer because you're about to head into hyperspace. ⁓ but you just saw that there are there are enemy ships are coming in on the horizon, so you need to go you need to go. So I give ⁓ like a little story and like little direction and so and then I film it and then I show them and go, Look, this is you as the character, not just a person in a costume. And ⁓ I love being part of the light ⁓ in somebody's imagination going off and going, ⁓ I see, you know, with just a little bit of ⁓ direction and energy or imagination, how this character can feel real. 'Cause that's what I was doing as a cosplayer. I wasn't just, you know, like Joe Schmoe walking around in a costume. I was like would walk up to people and I would talk to them as the character. All right, we'll check it out. Let me see your identification. You know, whatever. And and ⁓ and it's so so ⁓ that that's really fun to see that when they when they get it. So ⁓ that's that's what I love to do at these one of the things I love to do at these conventions. And and you've been working on your costume at two AM in your garage, just like they have. Just like them, yeah, yeah. I mean, and but yours yours has ⁓ gone into this whole dream thing where you actually become and are those characters. Just think it's a wonderful, wonderful ⁓ circle, as you said. ⁓ And have somebody somebody come up and be your character in cosplay. I mean, right. Absolutely wonderful. ⁓ thanks. Well, and you're right. You know, I I was making it making this stuff just for me, just like they are at the conventions. You just never know when someone sees what you've made that they might appreciate it. And that's just a bonus. It's not the point. The point of of it is making something for you because you find such joy in making it. ⁓ I see so many people, you know, whether it's in the any of the costuming groups, where they're just so happy to be with other friends in the costumes that they built together and maybe they maybe he made this part for you and you made this part for him or whatever, but or you're together and together you look like you're, you know, in a in a in a film together or something. ⁓ it's just there's so much joy in in finding what you're good at and then, you know, doing that. That's that that's that's enough, I think. ⁓ the anything else. It that's like auditions as an actor. You never most of the time you don't get the role, you know, but but you get a chance to go perform this little scene, you know, for four minutes or whatever. And then that there's a lot of joy in that part. If you enjoy that part, then you you can be an actor. If if ⁓ you know, if you're constantly like, ⁓ I really want to get this role, can you please give me a shot? That's just that's not attractive. You know what I mean? It's the same thing with jobs or relationships, you know. You you don't wanna seem desperate. You you you know, do the thing for you and then anything else that happens is extra. But You know, how happy it it it makes you just to do that thing is that that's the point is to be happy doing doing what you like. ⁓ you never know so many more things happen when when people feel the energy of your joy in the thing that you're doing versus versus someone who's Who's just struggling so hard. Even though we're all struggling, you know, in what we're trying to do, that's not the energy you want to put out. Is that does that make sense? Yeah. I mean joy in what you're doing is yeah. So important. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ That's why he smiles all the time. He does, doesn't he? He does. He has a big I do feel like a lot of joy. ⁓ in this stuff, you guys, and I appreciate you wanting to talk about it. Yeah, definitely. Well, wow, our time has come and gone. ⁓ yes. Yeah. Well have fun with you guys. Well it it's always a pleasure. ⁓ again go find Chris Bartlett on social media. It's Chris F Bartlett. You can find him on Instagram, YouTube, all those other socials and stuff like that. ⁓ he's coming up at a ⁓ con near you. Check him out. ⁓ we just talked with the ⁓ we just talked with an app builder that has a really cool app that you could follow Chris on. It's called Con Vibe. And ⁓ you can literally follow the celebrities that you like. It'll tell you what shows they're gonna be at and stuff. That's neat. See, yeah. Con Vibe is the app con Vibe is the app. Yeah, you can download it on Apple. You can do on droid and stuff like that. But ⁓ we just talked to the creator and founder of it and ⁓ we will have a podcast on that one because what a great idea. It is because again it was like con related. Yeah, it's everything con related. And you know, it's just so many people don't know where you're gonna be at. So with the app you can find all the shows, they can follow you. Maybe you might be guest appearing somewhere. That's not a Comic Con. It'll tell you where you're gonna be at. ⁓ You know? So yeah, it's ⁓ it's a great app. It's called ⁓ Con Vib C O N V I B E. It was created by somebody like us, an attendee that saw the frustrations out there. So yeah. Yeah. Cool. Learn something new. Yes, that's good. ⁓ yeah, we're we're working on trying to ⁓ book some shows in Australia because they have a massive Star Wars fan base there and and I've never been there since the very first time when I was cast as C3PO, which was not for a convention. ⁓ I've never done a convention there, so I'm really ⁓ I'm I'm working on that. Would love to come to Australia and ⁓ three spring, don't they? What's that? They have some giant shows. Supernova, I think is one of them. Right. Yeah. Yeah. and and also, I'm working on doing more workshops, you know, where kind of like what we just or or like panels or talking about, ⁓ you know, this story, but also ⁓ your story, how how it might ⁓ the things that you're doing might apply to your dreams, you know, not wishes, but your dreams and what you're doing to push that dream forward. ⁓ yeah. Anyway, ⁓ I I'm just again, I'm just doing stuff that I would like to see if I was, you know, a consumer or an audience member, you know, a nerd who wants to be entertained or infotained, you know. So yeah, that that stuff will be coming up. ⁓ And I have something that's happening that'll be announced in October. So watch my Instagram for the latest project that I that I filmed in ⁓ I think it was July or June ⁓ of the next I know a little bit about that one. It is the biggest project I've ever done. and will be able to announce it in October. So no teases. ⁓ that's big. It's big. It's big. It's huge. ⁓ and and it is an on camera role. Really? Yeah. ⁓ that's exciting. So we actually see your mug. That's right. Nice. Yes. Yeah. So I'm excited too. so anyway, I'll announce that. ⁓ you just watched my Instagram in October, ⁓ which is a month away. and ⁓ yeah, I'm excited for everybody to to see that because it's ⁓ it is really Really cool. Something I never saw coming. But ⁓ that's really exciting. But yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. Thanks. Wonderful. Well, thank you for joining our show. This is Conversations with Coffee. ⁓ my host Liz and myself. Thank you as the subscriber for following us and listening to our special guest ⁓ guest, Chris Bartlett. And ⁓ we look forward to seeing you guys in a galaxy far, far away. No Thank you guys so much for having me. And as always, it's so great to talk to you and see you and we'll we'll catch up again, maybe Rhode Island. Liz, are you going to Rhode Island? I'm not going to Rhode Island. And Nope. ⁓ well. We're so busy. We'll we'll see you at another show. Yeah. You'll know 'cause we'll sneak up on you. Yes. There we go. All right. Well, thanks guys. Great to see you. ⁓ good to see you guys. All right. Bye. Bye bye.